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NEW  YORK. 


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SOME  OF  ITS  PROMINENT  MEN  AND  PIONEERS. 


By  JAMES  H.  SMITH, 

ASSISTED  BY  HUME  H.  CALE  AND  WILLIAM  E.  ROSCOE. 


Published  by  D.   MASON   &  CO., 


SYRACUSE,  N.  Y. 

Y^'  ■  -  ...  . 


—  1882  — 


SYRACUSE,  N.  Y.: 

TRUAIR,    SMITH    &    BRUCE, 

PRINTERS  AND  BINDERS. 

1882. 


Introduction, 


In  the  preparation  of  the  History  of  the  County  treated  of  in  this  volume,  the  authors  have  endeavored 
to  confine  themselves  to  a  concise  and  truthful  statement  of  facts,  leaving  deductions  and  moralisms, 
except  where  such  were  necessary  to  a  proper  elucidation  of  the  subject,  to  the  individual  reader;  and  in 
gleaning  these  facts  they  have  laid  under  contribution  every  available  source  of  information,  in  the  eifort 
to  arrive  at  correct  data.  This,  however,  has  not  always  been  possible,  for  much  is  given  that  rests  for 
its  authority  entirely  upon  verbal  statements,  which,  even  among  the  best  informed,  are  subject  to  the 
lapses  of  memory.  When  conflicting  statements  have  been  observed,  an  honest  effort  has  been  made  to 
reconcile  them  and  make  them  conform  to  the  probable  fact.  To  this  end,  records  have  been  consulted 
where  such  existed  and  were  accessible,  both  to  supplement  and  estabhsh  a  verbal  fact,  and  as  an  original 
source  of  information.  These,  however,  though  enabling  us  to  correct  many  errors  in  statements  of  facts 
made  by  other  writers,  were  often  fragmentary,  sometimes  entirely  wanting,  and  while  their  incompleteness 
was  perplexing,  their  frequent  indefiniteness  was  even  more  so,  so  that  it  was  often  necessary  to  supple- 
ment them  by  verbal  information. 

The  materials  for  such  a  work  were  widely  scattered.  They  lay  mainly  in  the  imperfect  town,  county, 
church,  school,  society  and  private  records,  and  in  the  vague  and  faded  memories  of  individuals.  Much  time, 
labor,  diligent  research  and  patient  inquiry  have  been  required  to  gather  these  materials  and  collate  them 
into  systematic  order.  Every  town  has  been  visited,  and  its  records  and  well-informed  citizens  have  been 
consulted.  In  addition  to  these,  the  files  of  local  and  other  papers  have  been  scrutinized,  and  the  works 
of  numerous  authors  laid,  under  contribution  ;  but  as  the  latter  have  generally  been  referred  to  in  the  text 
especially  when  quoted,  we  do  not  deem  it  necessary  to  enumerate  them  here.  A  few  local  gleaners  of 
acknowledged  ability  in  this  field  of  historic  inquiry  have  rescued  from  oblivion  much  that  has  served  to 
embellish  the  annals  of  Duchess.-    The  fruit  of  their  labors  was  kindly  placed  at  our  disposal. 

We  fully  appreciated  the  onerous  task  assumed  when  we  undertook  to  gather  and  compress  within  the 
limited  time  and  space  allotted  us,  the  abundant  materials  which  make  up  the  annals  of  a  County  of  such 
historic  importance  as  Duchess.  Much  more  might  have  been  given,  enough  to  swell  the  volume  to  twice 
its  present  size,  by  the  amplification  of  subjects  and  the  multiphcation  of  details  which  some  would  regard 
with  interest  and  others  as  unimportant.  Indeed,  it  was  found  necessary  to  eliminate  much  that  was 
prepared  and  to  omit  still  more  that  was  gathered  in  order  to  bring  the  materials  within  the  scope  of  the 
work.  In  discarding  matter  we  have  aimed  to  retain  that  which  seemed  most  important — most  worthy 
of  preservation. 

An  earUer  preparation  of  the  work  would  have  lessened  the  labor  and  produced  more  satisfactory  results, 
as  it  would  have  given  access  to  the  personal  experience  and  relations  of  many  of  the  immediate  descend- 


INTRODUCTION. 


ants  of  the  first  settlers,  with  whom  have  died  facts  and  incidents  which  are  now  beyond  recall.  But  few 
of  this  sacred  remnant  are  left  with  us,  and  fewer  still  retain  their  faculties  sufficiently  to  relate  coherently 
and  positively  the  interesting  incidents  of  that  early  period.  It  must,  therefore,  be  obvious  that  the  time 
for  the  publication  of  this  work  had  fully  come,  and  that  a  longer  delay  would  only  have  added  to  the 
obscurity  of  the  facts  and  the  difficulty  of  their  acquisition. 

The  history  of  Duchess  County  dates  back  to  the  period  when  the  Hudson  was  discovered  by  the 
English  navigator  whose  name  it  bears,  though  actual  settlement  was  not  commenced  until  three-quarters, 
of  a  century  later.  The  first  settlers  were  Dutch,  though  no  settlement  was  made  under  the  Dutch  regime, 
and  for  fully  half  a  century  after  it  was  begun  it  progressed  but  slowly.  From  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  however,  its  growth  was  rapid^  and  not  until  then  did  it  approximate  a  primal  importance.  The 
development  of  its  varied  industries  and  institutions  is  succinctly  stated  in  the  succeeding  chapters. 

Though  this  County  is  not  as  rich  in  historical  incidents  fraught  with  tragic  interest  as  the  counties 
which  bordered  on  the  confines  of  civilization  during  the  French  and  Indian  wars,  the  sanguinary  struggle 
of  the  Revolution,  and  the  more  recent  but  memorable  war  with  the  mother  country,  which  etched  in 
lines  of  blood  the  history  of  these  eventful  scenes,  it  witnessed  many  of  the  most  pathetic  and  memorable 
incidents  of  the  Revolutionary  struggle,  and  though  no  battle  was  fonght  within  its  precincts,  its  soil  is 
not  unhallowed  by  blood  shed  to  establish  those  principles  which,  eighty-two  years  later,  its  sons  fought  so 
nobly  to  perpetuate.  Around  the  Revolutionary  period  cluster  its  most  endearing  associations.  It  has, 
too,  a  pacific  history,  to  which  many  will  recur  with  interest, — yea,  with  reverence. 

We  are  aware  that  in  adopting  an  orthography  in  the  name  of  this  County  differing  from  that  which 
usage  has  sanctioned  since  its  organization,  we  enter  upon  debated  ground,  and  a  reason  for  this  step  may 
seem  to  be  due  to  those  who  diifer  with  us  in  opinion.  We  adopt  this  orthography  in  deference  to  that 
progressive  spirit  which  seeks  to  simplify  and  purify  our  language  by  purging  it  of  its  redundancies  and 
philological  anomaUes,  believing  that  the  public  mind  will  ere  long  demand  official  recognition  of  ortho- 
graphic changes  in  this  word  corresponding  with  those  to  which  philologists,  etymologists,  orthoepists  and 
lexicographers  have  long  since  subjected  that  from  which  it  is  derived. 

This  County  was  named  in  compliment  to  the  Duchess  of  York,  whose  title,  like  that  of  all  wives  of 
Dukes,  is  derived  from  the  French  word  duchesse,  which  was  authoratively  spelled  with  a  /until  1755, 
when  Dr.  Johnson,  the  English  lexicographer,  omitted  the  t,  and  likewise  the  final  e.  The  example  thus 
set  has  been  followed  by  others,  including  Webster.  It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  popular  and  official 
form  of  the  word  has  the  sanction  of  precedent  and  long  established  usage ;  but  the  same  may  be  urged 
with  respect  to  its  original,  and  analogy  would  suggest  a  conformity  of  the  derivative  to  it.  It  may,  how- 
ever, be  fairly  questioned  whether  it  is  the  legitimate  province  of  the  historian,  whose  duty  it  is  to  record 
things  as  he  finds  them,  to  introduce  such  innovations,  without  subjecting  himself  to  the  charge  of  icono- 
clasm,  if  not  of  sciolism.     Highly  respected  local  writers,  however,  agree  with  us  in  advocating  this  change. 

In  conclusion,  the  authors  take  this  opportunity  to  tender  their  grateful  acknowledgments  to  the  many 
who,  in  various  ways,  have  so  kindly  aided  them  in  this  laborious  work,  and  to  testify  to  the  uniform 
courtesy  which  was  extended  to  them,  and  the  cordiality  with  which  their  labors  were  seconded  by  the 
hosts  from  whom  it  became  their  duty  to  solicit  information. 


Contents. 


CHAPTER  I.  —Aborigines  —  Pre-Historio  Period- 
Antiquity  of  America — Ancient  Civiliza- 
tions —  Obscurity  of  the  Origin  of  the 
North  American  Indians — Indian  Tradi- 
tions Bespecting  It— Migrations  of  the 
Lenni  Leuapes — The  Mahicang  a  Branch 
of  the  Lenape  Family — Extent  and  Loca- 
tion of  their  Dominions 11 

CHAPTER  II.— The  Iroquois  Family— The  Algon- 
kin  Family  —  The  Delawares  —  Relative 
Bank  of  the  Three  Tribes  of  the  Dela- 
wares— Their  Organization  and  Govern- 
ment— Duties  and  Powers  of  the  Chief — 
Organization  and  Government  of  the  Ma- 
hicans — Method  of  Declaring  War — Of- 
fensive and  Defensive  Weapons 16 

CHAPTER  III.— Aborigines  of  Duchess  County- 
Divisions  of  the  Mahicans— Their  Terri- 
torial Possessions  —  The  Wappingers  — 
Conflicting  Statements  Respecting  their 
Location — Chieftaincies  of  the  Wappin- 
gers— The  Head  Chieftaincy  Located  in 
Duchess  County — Villages  of  the  Wappin- 
gers— Traditional  Indian  Villages 19 

CHAPTER  IV. — Contemporaneous  Emigration  of 
Delawares  and  Iroquois  from  the  West — 
Wars  Between  the  Delawares  and  Iro- 
quois— Differing  Views  Respecting  the 
Subjugation  of  the  Delawares  by  the  Iro- 
quois— Wars  Between  the  Iroquois  and 
Mahicans  —  The  Mahicans  Unsubdued— 
Their  Subjugation  Asserted  by  Various 
Historians — These  Statements  Refuted  by 
Documentary  Proof —Traditional  Reverses 
of  the  Mahicans — Their  Losses  and  Dis- 
persion— War  of  1755 — The  Delawares  in 
the  Revolutionary  War 23 

CHAPTER  V. — The  Moravians — Moravian  Mission 
at  Shekomeko — Christian  Henry  Ranch 
Establishes  the  First  Successful  Moravian 
Mission  in  North  America  at  Shekomeko — 
Joined  by  Buettner— Joseph  Shaw  sent  to 
Shekomeko  as  Schoolmaster — The  Mis- 
sionaries Pyrlsaus,  Senseman  and  Post 
join  the  Mission — Mission  at  Pachgatgoch 
Broken  (Jp — Persecutions  of  the  Mission- 


CHAPTER  v.— (Continued.)  page. 
aries  and  their  Indian  Converts — Death  of 
Buettner — Indians  Driven  from  Shekome- 
ko and  Wechquaduaoh — Interest  in  She- 
komeko and  Wechquadnach  Revived  af- 
ter the  Lapse  of  a  Century — Their  Sites 
Identified — Monuments  Erected  Thereon 
to  the  Memory  of  the  Missionaries  Buett- 
ner, Bruce,  and  Powell 28 

CHAPTER  VI.— Hudson's  Discovery  and  Explora- 
tion of  the  North  River — Diverse  Claims 
of  the  English,  French  and  Dutch — Char- 
acter of  the  Dutch  Colonists  of  New  Neth- 
erlands— The  United  New  Netherland 
Company — The  Dutch  West  India  Com- 
pany— Dutch  Colonization — The  Esopus 
Wars — The  Destruction  of  Wiltwyok — 
Expedition  to  Red  Hook  during  the  Sec- 
ond Esopus  War — Friendly  offices  of 
Wappingers — Indian  Treaty  of  1664 — 
Supersedure  of  the  Dutch  by  the  English.     40 

.CHAPTER  VII.  — Titles  to  the  Soil— Extinguish- 
ment of  the  Indian  Title — Land  Patents 
— Rombout  Patent — Schuyler's  Patent- 
Great  or  Lower  Nine  Partners  Patent — 
Poughkeepsie  Patent — Rhinebeck  Patent 
— Beekman  Patent — Little  or  Upper  Nine 
Partners  Tract  —  Oblong  Patent  —  Dis- 
puted Boundary  Line  Between  New  York 
and  Connecticut— The  Oblong  Granted 
to  English  and  American  Patentees — De- 
fective Titles — Anti-Bent  Difficulties 47 

CHAPTER  VIII.— First  Settlements  —  Traditions 
Respecting  Them — Projected  Settlement 
of  New  Englanders  at  the  Mouth  of  Wap- 
pingers Creek — NicholasEmigh  Supposed 
to  be  the  First  Settler — Settlements  at 
Poughkeepsie  and  Bhinebeck — The  Pala- 
tines—Huguenot Settlers — First  Census 
of  Duchess  County,  1714 — Freeholders  in 
Duchess  County  in  1740 — Descriptions  of 
the  County  in  1756  and  1813— Population 
of  County  at  Different  Periods  from  1714 
to  1880— Present  Status  of  the  County- 
Enrollment  of  Quakers  in  1755 — Slaves  in 
Duchess  County  in  1755 — Early  Civil  Pro- 
cesses—Oaths of  Abjuration  and   Fealty 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  Vin.— (Continued.)                               page. 
in  1760— Observations  on  Duchess  Coun- 
ty in  1780-'82,  by  the  Marquis  DeChastel- 
hix 55 

CHAPTER  IX.— Early  Civil  Divisions— Duchess 
County  Divided  Into  Wards,  Precincts 
and  Towns — Topography  of  County — Its 
Mountains  and  Streams — Climate — Tem- 
perature—Rain-FaU  —  Snow-Fail— Direc- 
tion and  Prevalence  of  Winds — Mortality 
of  Duchess  as  Compared  with  other  Coun- 
ties in  the  State  —  Soils  —  Agriculture — 
Staple  Productions — Manufactures 69 

CHAPTER  X.— Geology  —  Underlying  Rocks  of 
Duchess  County — Rocks  of  the  Cham- 
plain  Division — Rocks  of  the  Hudson  Riv- 
er Group — Grit  and  Slate  Rocks — Utica 
Slate  Group — Trenton  Limestone  Gtroup — 
Black  River  Limestone  —  Calciferous 
Group  —  Barnegat  Limestone  —  Roofing 
Slate — The  Taconic  System — Metamor- 
phic  Rocks  ^ — Dolomitic  and  Granular 
Limestone — Duchess  County  Marble — The 
"Stone  Church"— Steatite— Iron  Ore- 
Galena  —  Copper — Silver — Gold — Prima- 
rj-  Rocks — Granite — Hornblende — Sienite 
— Gneiss  —  Mica  Slate — Augite  Rock — 
Greenstone  —  Alluvial  Deposits  —  Shell 
M.irl— Peat— Sink  Holes— "Spook  Hole" 
— Clay  Balls  and  Calcareous  Concretions 
— Mineral  Springs — Gas  Springs — Sub- 
terranean Streams— Inflammable  Gas — 
Sulphate  of  Iron — Bog  Ore — Manufactur- 
ers of  Bricks — Topographical  Changes — 
Drift  Deposits — Smoothed  and  Scratched 
Surfaces  of  Rocks — What  they  Indicate...     78 

CHAPTER  XI. — Internal  Improvements — Routes 
by  which  the  Pioneers  Reached  their  Wil- 
derness Homes — Early  Roads — Early  Ex- 
periments in  Steam  Navigation  at  DeKov- 
en's  Bay — Early  Railroad  Enterprises  in 
Duchess  County — Duchess  Railroad  Co. — 
Poughkeepsie  and  Eastern  Railroad  Co. — 
Poughkeepsie,  Hartford  <fe  Boston  Rail- 
road Co.  — Duchess  &  Columbia  Railroad 
Co. — Newburgh,  Duchess  &  Connecticut 
Railroad  Co. — Hudson  River  Railroad 
Co. — New  York  &  Harlem  Railroad  Co. — 
Boston,  Hartford  <fc  Erie  Extension  Rail- 
road Co. — New  York  &  New  England 
Railroad  Co. — Other  Railroad  Projects — 
Clove  Branch  Railroad  Co. — Rhinebeck  &, 
Connecticut  Railroad  Co. — Projected  and 
Abandoned  Enterprises — The  Poughkeep- 
sie Bridge  Co 96 

CHAPTER  XIL— County  Societies— Duchess  Coun- 
ty Medical  Society — Homeopathic  Medi- 
cal Society  of  Duchess  County — Duchess 
County  Mutual  Insurance  Company 103 

CHAPTER  XIII.— Early  Courts- Courts  First  Au- 
thorized in  Duchess  County— First  Court 
House  and  iTail  in  Duchess  County—  As- 


CHAPTER  XIII.— (Continued.)  page. 
^  sessments  of  Wards  and  Precincts  at  Dif- 
ferent Periods — Subsequent  County  Build- 
ings— Jail  Limits — County  Poor  House — 
Duchess  County  Civil  List — Miscellaneous 
Appointments  to  Distinguished  Positions 
— Delegates  to  State  Constitutional  Con- 
ventions— State  Senators — Members  of  As- 
sembly—First and  County  Judges — Sur- 
rogates —  District  Attorneys — Sheriffs  — 
County  Clerks  —  County  Treasurei  s  — 
County  Superintendents  of  Common 
Schools — School  Commissioners  — Presi- 
dential Electcrs— Senators  and  Represen- 
tatives in  Congress 118 

CHAPTER  XIV.  —Military  History  of  Duchess  Coun- 
ty— French  and  English  Colonial  Wars — 
War  of  the  Revolution — Military  Organi- 
zations in  Duchess— Provincial  Congress 
— Measures  for  the  FoHnation  of  a  State 
Government — Continental  Ship  Yard  at 
Poughkeepsie — Chain  Across  the  Hudson 
— Sir  Henry  Clinton's  Expedition  up  the 
Hudson — The  Duchess  Invinoibles — Sur- 
render of  Burgoyne  and  March  of  his 
Army  Through  Duchess  County  as  Pris- 
oners of  War — Fishkill  a  Depot  of  Sup- 
plies for  the  Continental  Army— Historic 
Associations  of  Fishkill — Enoch  Crosby — 
Revolutionary  Incidents  in  Pawling  — 
Adoption  of  the  State  Constitution  — 
Printed  in  Fishkill — State  Government 
Removed  to  Poughkeepsie — Tories  At- 
tempt the  Seizure  of  Notable  Men — Arti- 
cles of  Confederation  Ratified  by  the  Leg- 
islature in  Poughkeepsie — The  Conven- 
tion to  Consider  the  Revised  Federal 
Constitution  Meet  in  Poughkeepsie  —War 
of  1812 129 

CHAPTER  XV — Duchess  County  in  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion — Early  Measures  to  Suppress 
Rebellion  —  Prompt  and  Generous  Re- 
sponse of  Duchess  County — ^Additional 
Troops  Called  For — Some  of  tfie  Organi- 
zations with  which  the  Early  Volunteers 
United— Call  of  July  2d,  1862— Military 
Districts  Formed — Regimental  Camp  at 
Tivoli— Changed  to  Hudson— A  District 
Regiment  Authorized— Town  Quotas  Un- 
der the  Call  of  July  2d,  —  Call  of 
August  4,  1862— Efforts  to  Promote  En- 
listments—The 128th  Regiment— Its  Or- 
ganization and  Services 142 

CHAPTER  XVI,— Duchess  County  in  the  War  of 
the  Rebellion— Measures  Instituted  for 
the  Raising  of  a  Duchess  County  Regi- 
ment—Regimental Camp  at  Poughkeepsie 
Authorized— War  Meetings  and  Measures 
to  Promote  Enlistments— Camp  Duchess 
—Muster  and  Departure  of  the  l.^Oth  for 
the  Seat  of  War— Arrival  of  the  Regiment 
at  Baltimore— Joins  the  Army  of  the  Po- 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XVI.— (CoMTiNUED.)  page. 

tomao — ^Participates  in  the  Battle  of  Get- 
tysbiirg — Transferred  to  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland — The  Atlanta  Campaign — 
Sherman's  March  to  the  Sea^ — Toilsome 
and  Perilous  March  Through  the  Carolinas 
—  Last  Battle  of  the  il50th  — March 
Through  Richmond  to  Washington — The 
Return — Muster  out  and  Welcome  Home.  155 

CHAPTER  XVII.— Duchess  County  in  the  War  of 
the  Rebellion — Third  District  Regiment — 
Fails  to  Complete  its  Organization — Prep- 
arations for  the  Draft— Suspension  of  the 
Draft — Services  of  the  21st  Militia  Regi- 
ment Tendered  and  Accepted — Departure 
For  the  Seat  of  War — Return  and  Wel- 
come Home — The  Draft  in  Duchess  Coun- 
ty—Aid of  the  Military  Invoked— Call  of 
October  17,  1863 — Recruiting  Agents  Ap- 
pointed—Enlistments of  Colored  Men — 
Call  of  February  1,  1864— Call  of  March 
15,  1864— Call  of  July  18,  1864— Progress 
of  Enlistments — Third  Draft  in  Duchess — 
Statement  of  Bounties  Paid — Call  of  De- 
cember 19,  1864 — Fourth  and  Last  Draft 
in  Duchess— Close  of  the  War — Woman's 
Work  in  the  War 165 

CHAPTER  XVIII.— History  of  the  Town  of  Red 

,    Hook 172 

CHAPTER  XIX.— History  of  the  Town  of  Milan... .  214 
CHAPTER  XX.— History  of  the  Town  of  Pine  Plains  220 
CHAPTER  XXI.— History  of  the  Town  of  North  East  238 
CHAPTERXXII.— History  of  the  Town  of  Rhine- 
beck 252 

CHAPTER  XXIII.— History  of  the  Town  of  Clinton  284 
CHAPTER  XXIV.— History  of  the  Town  of  Stanford  291 
CHAPTER  XXV.  ^History  of  the  Town  of  Hyde  Park  299 
CHAPTER  XXVI)- History  of  the  Town  of  Pleasant 

Valley 311 

CHAPTER  XXVIL— History  of  the  Town  of  Wash- 
ington   320 

CHAPTER  XXVIII.  —History  of  the  Town  of  Amenia  334 
CHAPTER  XXIX.— History  of  the  Town  of  Pough- 
keepsie — Topography  of  the  Town — De- 
rivation and  Signification  of^  Name — 
Streams  —  Soil  —  Population  —  Area  — 
— Schools — First  Settlement-^Early  Land 
Transfers  Affecting  the  Town  and  City  of 
Poughkeepsie — Tax  list  of  Poughkeepsie 
Precinct  in  1771  —  Wappingers  Falls 
(Channingville) — New  Hamburgh — Roch- 
dale— Manchester — East  Poughkeepsie — 
Clinton  Point — Milton  Ferry — Van  Wag- 
ner's— Locust  Glen — The  War  of  the  Re- 
bellion   357 

CHAPTER  XXX. —History  of  the  City  of  Pough- 
keepsie —  Poughkeepsie  in  1799  —  Tax 
Lists  of  1805,  1849  and  1880  Compared— 
Poughkeepsie  in  1812  and  1824 — LaFay- 
ette's    Visit  —  Poughkeepsie     as     Seen 


CHAPTER  XXX.— (Continued.)  page. 
Through  Gordon's  Eyes  in  1836— The 
"  Improvement  Party  "—Poughkeepsie  in 
1841 — Dieturnell's  Description  of  Pough- 
keepsie in  1842 — Electric  Telegraph  First 
Introduced  Into  Poughkeepsie — Popula- 
tion of  Poughkeepsie  at  Different  Periods 
— Village  and  City  Officers  from  the  Date 
of  Incorporation — First.  Settlement 373 

CHAPTER  XXXI.— Poughkeepsie's  Mercantile  In- 
terests   381 

CHAPTER  XXXII.— Poughkeepsie's  Commerce  and 
Water  Transportation — The  Poughkeep- 
sie Transportation  Company — The  Pough- 
keepsie &  Highland  Ferry  Co.  Limited — 
The  Express  Business  in  Poughkeepsie...  385 
CHAPTERXXXIIL— Poughkeepsie's  Manufactures  387 

Banks  of  Poughkeepsie 396 

CHAPTER  XXXIV.— The  Press  of  Poughkeepsie...  399 
CHAPTER  XXXV. —Educational  Measures  and  In- 
stitutions in  Poughkeepsie — The  Public 
Library  of  Poughkeepsie — Private  Schools 
of  Poughkeepsie — Duchess  County  Acad- 
emy— Poughkeepsie  Female  Academy — 
Poughkeepsie  Collegiate  School — River- 
view  Academy — Cottage  Hill  Seminary — 
The  College  Preparatory  School — Cook's 
Collegiate  Institute  for  Young  Ladies — 
Eastman  Business  College — Vassar  Col- 
lege— Bishop's  Select  School  for  Boys — 
Dr.  Warring's  Boarding  School — Pelham 
Institute — Bockfie's  School  for  Young  La- 
dies— The  Home  Institute — Literary  Soci- 
eties and  Institutions  of  Poughkeepsie — 
The  Poughkeepsie  Lyceum  of  Literature 
Science  and  Mechanic  Arts — The  Pough- 
keepsie Literary  Club — The  Poughkeep- 
sie Society  of  Natural   Science — Vassar 

Brothers'  Institute 405 

CHAPTER  XXXVI.— Churches  of  Poughkeepsie... .  418 
CHAPTER  XXXVII.— Auxiliary  Religious,  Benevo- 
lent and  Charitable  Institutions — Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  —  Hudson 
River  State  Hospital — Old  Ladies'  Home 
— Vassar  Brothers'  Home  for  Aged  Men — 
St.  Barnabas  Hospital — House  of  Indus- 
try —  Charity  Organization  Society  — 
Poughkeepsie  Orphan  House  and  Home 

for  the  Friendless 430 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII.— City  Water  Works  — Fire 
Department — Fraternities — Poughkeepsie 
Gas  Light  Co. — Citizens  Gas  Co.— City 

Railroad  Co.— Hotels  and  Taverns  432 

CHAPTER  XXXIX.— Poughkeepsie  in  the  Rebellion  439 
CHAPTER  XL.— History  of  the  Town  of  LaGrange  467 
CHAPTER  XLI,— History  of  the  Town  of  Union 

Vale 474 

CHAPTER  XLH.— History  of  the  Town  of  Dover...  480 
CHAPTER  XLIII.— Histoiyof  the  Town  of  Wappin- 

ger 491 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

CHAPTEB  XLIV.— History  of  the  Town   of  Fish- 

kiU 605 

CHAPTER  XLV.  —History  of  the  Town  of  East  Fish- 
kill 536 

CHAPTER  XLVI.— History  of  the  Town  of  Beek- 

man 544 

CHAPTER  XLVII.— History  of  the  Town  of  Pawl- 
ing   550 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Akin    Hon.  Albert  J.,     Pawling,    portrait,    (steel) 

„ ....facing  560 

"Ankony,"  residence  of  William  B'ergh  Kip,  Rhino- 
beck between  262-263 

Ayrault     George,     La  Grange,       portrait,     (steel) 

between  472-473 

"Ayrault   Place,"   residence    of     George     Ayrault, 

LaGrange  between  472-473 

Bartow  Mrs.  Ehzabeth  D.,  East  Fishkill,view  of  resi- 
dence  between  540-541 

Blair  Robert,   Fishkill,  portrait facing  536 

Bentley  Col.  Gilbert,  Clinton,  portrait  (steel). ..facing  289 

Bisbee  Otis,  Poughkeepsie,  portrait facing  458 

"  Bois  Dor6,"  residence  of  R,  P.  Huntington,  Rhine- 
beck facing  272 

BoWne  James,  Poughkeepsie,  portrait facing  445 

Bi-iuckerhoff  James  B.  Jr.,  Fishkill,   view  of  resi- 
dence  facing  633 

Brown  Samuel,  Beekman,   portrait facing  549 

Carpenter  Hon.   B.   Piatt,   Poughkeepsie,  portrait, 

(steel) between  442-443 

Carpenter  Hon.  B.  Piatt,  Poughkeepsie, view  of  resi- 
dence  facing  443 

Carpenter  Hon.   Morgan,   Poughkeepsie,    portrait 

(steel) between  442-443 

Carpenter  Hon.  Isaac  S.,  Stanford,  portrait,   (steel) 

facing  299 

Carpenter  Hon.  Jacob  B., Washington, portrait,  facing  333 

Carpenter  Hon.  Jacob  B.,  Washington,  view  of  sum- 
mer residence between  322-323 

' '  Callendar  House,"residence  of  Johnston  Livingston, 

Red  Hook 213 

Cairo   Adam,    Poughkeepsie,  view  of  pottery  and 

sewer  pipe  manufactory facing  392 

Campbell  Cornelius  N.,  M.  D.,  Poughkeepsie, portrait  457 
"Cedar  Hill,"  residence  of  R.  M.  Taggart,  Pough- 
keepsie  between  450-451 

"Cedar  Hill,"  view  of  entrance  and  grounds. ..facing  460 

"  Cedar  HiU,"  view  of  barn between  450-461 

Central  Pawling  Baptist  Church 566 

Clark    Colonel    Henry  F.,   Poughkeepsie,    portrait 

between  444-445 

Clark   Colonel  H.  F.,  Poughkeepsie,  view  of  medals 

awarded between  444-445 

"  CliffSale,"  residence  of  Mrs.  Cordelia  E.  Boardman, 

Poughkeepsie between  440-441 

"Cliffdale,"  view  of  the  lake between  440-441 


"Chateau  of  Tivoli,"   residence  of    Colonel  3.  L. 

dePeyster,  Red  Hook 212 

"  Cliffdale,"  view  of  the  entrance  441 

Congdon  Jarvis,  Washington,    portrait 330 

Cooper  John  R.,  M.  D.,  Poughkeepsie,  portrait 461 

Davies  Wm.  A.,  Poughkeepsie,  view  of  the  Hudson 

river  from  the  farm  of facing  364 

Dibble  House,  Fishkill 525 

DePeyster  Major  General  J.  Watts,  Red  Hook,  por- 
trait, (steel) facing  204 

Butcher   House,    Pawling ....between  552-568 

Dutcher  Hon.  J.    B.,   Pawling,  view  of  residence, 

between  564-555 

Eastman  Place,  Poughkeepsie 411 

Eastman  Place,  South  Avenue  approach 411 

Eastman  National  Business   College,  Poughkeepsie, 

view  of ,. "138 

"Eden  Hill,"  residence  of  John  P.  Adriance,  Pough- 
keepsie   facing  388 

Elting  Captain  L.,  Poughkeepsie,  view  of  the  Hudson 
river  and  Catskill  mountains  from  residence, 

between  406-407 

Eno  Wm.  S.,  Pine  Plains,  view  of  residence. ..facing  287 
"Ferncliff,"  residence  of  Wm.    Astor,   Rhinebeck, 

view  of  the  lawn facing  264 

"Ferncliff,"  view  of  the  race  stables...  between  264-265 

"Ferncliff,"  view  of  the  cattle  barns between  264-265 

"Ferncliff,"  view  of  farm  entrance  and  coach  house 

facing  265 

"Ferncliff,"  view  of   conservatories,  the  approach 

to  the  mansion,  and  park  view facing  281 

"  Ferncliff,"  view  of  lawn  and  river, and  of  the  Cats- 
kills facing  282 

"Ferncliff,"  view  of  the  entrance  and  lodge 281 

"Ferncliff,"  view  of  residence,  from  the  lawn  front 

...between  282-283 

"Ferncliff,  view  of  residence,  from  the  river  front, 

between  282-283 

"Ferncliff,"   The  Ambassadress,   N.    Y.   Y.   C,   at 

anchor v.. .facing  283 

Friends    Brick  Meeting  House  at  Nine  Partners, 

facing  327 

FaBkill  Ironworks,  Poughkeepsie between  388-389 

First  American  Flag  Hoisted  over  Richmond,  April 

3d,  1865 209 

GiUender  Theophilus,  Rhinebeck,   portrait 280 

"Hemlock  Farm,"  former  homestead  of  Alexander 

H.  Cofan,  Union  Vale 479 

"Homestead,"  residence  of  William  H. Taber,  Pawl- 
ing   facing  561 

Hooker  James,  Poughkeepsie,  portrait,  (steel)  facing  460 

Howard  Hon.  James,  LaGrange,  portrait facing  467 

Innis    George,    Poughkeepsie,    view   of   residence,  ' 

' facing  373 

Ketoham  Hon.  John  H.,  Dover,  portrait facing  484 

Lamoree  George,  Pleasant  Valley ,  portrait facing  316 


CONTENTS. 


"Lawn    Brook,"    residence    of   Dr.  D.   Guernsey, 

Amenia between  356-357 

"Leacote,''  residence  of   Douglas  Merritt,   Khine- 

beck facing  25.5 

Lossing  Benson  J.,  view  of  birth-place,  Beekman,  547 
"  Marienruh,"residence  of  Louis  A.Ehlers,Khinebeck, 

facing  28+ 

Martin  Homestead,  Bed  Hook,  property  of  Edward 

Martin,  view  of facing  186 

Merritt  Wm.  T.,  Poughkeepsie,  portrait facing  447 

Mizzen-Top  Summer  Hotel,  Pawling between  558-559 

Nine   Partners  Boarding  School,   from  a  sketch  by 

Alex.   H.    Coffin  in  1820 facing  327 

Nichols    Thomas  G.,  Poughkeepsie,   portrait 459 

Odell  Luman  B. ,  Beekman,   portrait  self  and  wife, 

between  548-549 

O'Brien  John,  Bhinebeck,  view  of  residence,   facing  268 

"Old  Store  Building"  in  Mechanic facing  328 

"Kose  Lawn,"  residence  of  Edgar  M.  Vanderburgh, 

Washington between  334-335 

"Eose  Hill,"  residence  of  Major  General  J.    Watts 

dePeyster,  Bed  Hook 210 

"  Eose  Hill,"  view  of  tower  and  library, .  211 

Eiverview  Military  Academy,  Poughkeepsie... facing  409 
Eossevelt  James,  Hyde  Park,  view  of  Hudson  Eiver 

from  residence facing  302 

St.  Paul's  Church,  Eed  Hook 193 

St.  Paul's  Church,  Red  Hook,  view  from  the  South,  195 
St.  Paul's  Church,  Eed  Hook,  view  from  the  West,  196 

St.  John's  Church,   Pawling 557 

Storm  John  V.,  Fishkill,  portrait facing  506 

Sohell  Augustn8,NewXork  City,  portrait  (steel)  facing  455 
Shear  John  C.  and  A. ,  La  Grange,  view  of  residence 

between  468-469 

Shear  John  C,  La  Grange,  portrait,  (steel'). ..facing  471 

Skidmore  Peter  Akin,  Beekman,  portrait 549 

Sleight  Peter  E.,  La  Grange,  portrait facing  473 

Tallman  John  P.  H.,  Poughkeepsie,   portrait  (steel) 

facing  452 

Taber    William    H.,  Pawling,    view    of    residence, 

facing  561 

Taber  WiUiam  H.,  Pawling,   portrait < 561 

"The  Locusts,"  residence  of  Wm.  B.Dinsmore,  Hyde 

Park between  300-301 

"  The  Locusts,"  view  of  the  lawn  in  front  of  resi- 
dence  between  302-303 

"The  Locusts,"  view  of  the  flower    garden    and 

conservatories between  304-305 

"  The  Locusts,"  view  of  the  lodge  and  carriage  house 

facing  306 

"  The  Locusts,"  view    of     farm  yard,     bam    and 

stables between  306-307 

"The  Locusts,"  view  of  the  carriage  house. ..facing  307 

"  The  Locusts,"  view  of  the  garden facing  309 

"  The  Locusts,"  view  of  avenue  from  the  post-road  309 
"  The  Locusts,"  view  up  the  Hudson  river  from  the 

landing facing  310 


"The  Locusts,"  Initial 310 

"The  Locusts,"  view  of  residence  from  the  river 

between  310-311 

Thompson  Hon.  John,  Poughkeepsie,  portrait,  (steel) 

facing  448 

Thome    Jonathan,  New  York  City,  portrait,  (steel) 

facing  329 

"  Thorndale,"  residence  of  Edwin  Thome,  Washing- 
ton, view  of  lodge  and  entrance 331 

"Thorndale,"  view  of  residence facing  332 

"  Thorndale,"  view  of  the  farm  bams  and  training 

stables between  332-333 

Thorne,  old  homestead  of  Samuel,  and  birth-place  of 

Jonathan,    Washington, facing  328 

Tower  Albert,  view  of  summer  residence,  Beekman, 

facing  547 

Tuthill  Samuel,  M.  D.,  Poughkeepsie,  portrait 451 

Vassar  Matthew,  Poughkeepsie,  view  of  birth-place,  412 
Vassar  Matthew,  Poughkeepsie,  view  of  first  resi- 
dence in  Poughkeepsie 413 

Vassar  Matthew,  Poughkeepsie,  view  of  last  residence,  413 
Van  Voorhis  Major  WiUiam  Eoe,  Fishkill,  portrait, 

(steel) ' facing  534 

Van  Voorhis  Major  William  Eoe,  Fishkill,  view  of 

homestead 535 

Van  Voorhees  Johannes  Coerte,  view  of  homestead  535 
Wheeler  Francis  B.,  M.D.,  Poughkeepsie,  portrait...  462 
Whitehouse,   residence  of  the  late  Hon.  John  0., 

Poughkeepsie facing  404 

Whitehouse    Hon.    John    0.,    Poughkeepsie,   por- 
trait  facing  454 

Whitehouse  John  O.,  Poughkeepsie,   view  of  boot 

and  shoe  factory facing  387 

Willets  Jacob,  portrait,  Washington, 329 

Willets  Deborah,  portrait,  Washington...; 329 

"  Wood-Cliff,"  residence  of  John  F.  Winslow,  Pough- 

lie between  380-381 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Akin  Hon.  Albert  J.  Pawling 560 

Ayrault  George,  LaGrange 472 

"  Ayrault  Place,"  LaGrange 473 

Brown  Samuel,  Beekman 549 

Bentley  Col.  Gilbert,  Clinton 289 

Bisbee  Otis,  Poughkeepsie 457 

Bowne  James,  Poughkeepsie 445 

Bockfie  Family,  Poughkeepsie  442 

Blair  Eobert,  Fishkill 536 

Booth  George,  Poughkeepsie 463 

"  Callendar  House,"  residence  of  J.  Livingston,  Eed 

Hook 213 

Campbell  Cornelius  N.,  M.  D.,  Poughkeepsie 457 

Carpenter  Hon.  Isaac  S.,  Stanford 299 

Carpenter  Hon.  Morgan,  Poughkeepsie 442 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

Carpenter  Hon.  B.  Piatt,  Poughkeepsie 443 

Carpenter  Hon.  Jacob  B.,  Washington 333 

"Cedar  Hill,"  residence  of  B.  M.  Taggart,  Pough- 
keepsie   460 

"Cliffdale"    residence    of    Mrs.    C.    E.    Boardman 

Poughkeepsie 441 

Clark  Henry  P.,  Poughkeepsie., 444 

Coffin  Family,  Union  Vale 479 

Congdon  Jarvis,  Washington 330 

Cooper  John  K. ,  M.  D.,  Poughkeepsie 461 

DePeyster  Family,  Bed  Hook 204 

EnoWm.  S.,  Pine  Plains 237 

"Perncliff,"    residence  of    William    Astor,  Ehine- 

beck 281 

Friends  Brick  Meeting  House,  Washington 327 

Gillender  Theophilus,  Ehinebeck 280 

Guernsey  Desault,  Amenia 3.56 

Howard  Hon.  James,  LaGrange facing  467 

Hooker  James,  Poughkeepsie 460 

Ketcham  Hon.  John  H.,  Dover facing  484 

Lamoree  George,  Pleasant  Valley facing  316 

Lossing  Benson  J.,  Dover., 488 

"Marienruh,"  residence  of  Louis  A.  Ehlers,  Bhine- 
beok 283 

Members  of  the  Poughkeepsie  Bar 463 


PAGE. 

Merritt  Wm.  T.,  Poughkeepsie 447 

Medical  Prof  ession  of  Poughkeepsie 466 

Nine  Partners  Boarding  School 326 

Nichols  Thomas  G. ,  Poughkeepsie 459 

Odell  Luman  B.,  Beekman 548 

Skidmore  Peter  Akin,  Beekman 549 

Schell  Augustus,  New  York  City 455 

Shear  John  C.,  LaGrange 471 

Sleight  Peter  B.,  LaGrange 473 

Swan  Cyrus,  Poughkeepsie 451 

Storm  John  V. ,  Fishkill facing  506 

TaberWm.  H.,  Pawling 561 

Tallman  John  P.  H..  Poughkeepsie 452 

"The  Locusts,"  residence  of  Wm.   B.   Dinsmore, 

Hyde  Park 310 

The  Old  Store  Building  in  Mechanic,  Nine  Partners,  328 

Thompson  Hon.  John,  Poughkeepsie 448 

"  Thomdale,"  residence  of  Edwin  Thome,  Washing- 
ton   facing  330 

Tuthill  Samuel,  M.  D. ,  Poughkeepsie 451 

Vanderburgh  Edgar  M. ,  Washington 334 

VanVoorhis  Family,  Fisl^^ill 534 

Willets  Jacob  and  Deborah,  Washington 329 

Wheeler  Francis  B.,  D.  D.,  Poughkeepsie 462 

Whitehouse  Hon.  JohnO.,  Poughkeepsie 454 


HISTORY 


OF 


Duchess    County 


CHAPTER  I. 

Aborigines  —  Pre-Historic  Period — Antiquity 
OF  America — Ancient  Civilizations — Theo- 
ries Regarding  their  Origin — Obscurity  of 
THE  Origin  of  the  North  American  Indians — 
Analysis  of  Theories  Respecting  It — Indian 
Traditions  Respecting  It  —  Migrations  of 
the  Lenni  Lenapes — The  Mahicans  a  Branch 
of  the  Lenape  Family — Extent  and  Loca- 
tion of  their  Dominions. 


' '  ^  X  7"  HAT  we  usually  term  the  begin- 
V  V  "^'"g  of  history,"  says  Humboldt's 
Cosmos,  "is  only  the  period  when  the  later  genera- 
tions awoke  to  self-consciousness."  The  historic 
period  for  the  region  of  country  the  history  of 
which  it  is  the  purpose  of  this  volume  to  give, 
may  be  said  to  date  from  the  advent  of  European 
explorers  to  its  contiguous  shores — more  specifi- 
cally of  that  English  discoverer,  whose  name  has 
been  given  to  the  noble  river  which  washes  its 
western  border — for  their  reports  give  us  the 
first  as  well  as  the  most  exact  and  comprehen- 
sive account  we  have  of  the  people  who  then 
inhabited  it.  These  people  are  classed  under  the 
generic  term  Indians — a  name  which  obtains 
from  the  fact  that  when  this  continent  was  discov- 
ered by  Columbus  and  others  who  succeeded  him 
in  search  of  a  western  passage  to  the  East  Indies, 
it  was  supposed  to  be  the  eastern  shore  of  the  con- 
tinent of  India.*     Their  history  prior  to  their  inti- 

*  Indians  of  North  A  merica,  I,  3. 


mate  association  with  civilized  people  is  shrouded 
in  obscurity,  and  is  transmitted  to  us  in  the  form 
of  vague  and  fragmentary  legends.  The  Indians 
were  a  barbaric  race  and  have  left  no  written  his- 
tory, except  that  we  occasionally  discover  traces  of 
their  rude  paintings  and  still  ruder  engravings. 
But  these  are  pronounced  merely  the  totems  of  the 
Indians  by  Catlin,  who  says,  "  I  have  been  unable 
to  find  anything  like  a  system  of  hieroglyphic  writ- 
ing amongst  them."*  Heckewelder,  however, 
says,  that,  although  they  "do  not  possess  our 
art  of  writing,"  and  "  have  no  alphabets,  nor  any 
mode  of  representing  to  the  eye  the  sounds  of 
words  spoken,  yet  they  have  certain  hieroglyphics, 
by  which  they  describe  facts  in  so  plain  a  manner, 
that  those  who  are  conversant  with  those  marks 
can  understand  them  with  the  greatest  ease,  as 
easily,  indeed,  as  we  can  understand  a  piece  of 
writing."!  But  these  records  were  of  so  perishable 
a  nature  as  to  be  almost  valueless  for  historical  pur- 
poses. They  were  made  upon  fragments  of  bark, 
or  upon  the  smooth  surface  of  trees  from  which  the 
bark  had  been  removed  for  that  purpose.  This 
absence  of  a  connected  written  history  is,  however, 
compensated  in  a  measure  by  the  less  enduring 
reUcs,  consisting  of  the  implements  of  husbandry, 
the  chase  and  war,  which  the  plow  and  other  means 
of  excavation  have  numerously  disclosed.  Their 
fortified  villages  and  places  of  burial  are  rich  also 
in  suggestive  incidents. 

*Catlin's  North  American  Indians^  II,  246. 

\  Historical  Account  of  the  Indian  Nations^  in  Transactions  of  the 
American  Philosophical  Society,  Philadelphia,  117. 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Who  were  the  aborigines  of  this  country  is  a 
subject  of  much  learned  inquiry.  It  is  pretty  gen- 
erally believed  that  the  races  who  occupied  it  on 
the  advent  of  the  Europeans,  were  preceded  by 
one  more  numerous  and  more  highly  cultured, 
though-  the  evidence  that  such  is  the  fact  is  meager 
and  unsatisfactory.  De  Witt  Clinton  points  to  the 
numerous  mural  remains  which  existed  throughout 
the  northern,  central  and  western  parts  of  this 
State,  and  to  the  more  remarkable  ones  bordering 
the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers  and  their  branches 
as  evidence  of  the  fact  ;*  while  more  recent  authors, 
reasoning  from  more  exact  data,  ascribe  the  origin 
of  the  former  works  to  a  much  more  recent  date, 
and  to  a  different  race  of  people  than  the  latter.f 
The  evidences  referring  to  a  pre-historic  period 
within  this  State  are  rare,  though  the  celebrated 
Pompey  stone  X  may  be  cited  as  an  instance  of 
this  character,  without,  however,  furnishing  neces- 
sarily conclusive  proof. 

That  the  nations  of  the  eastern  hemisphere  had 
knowledge  of  the  existence  of  the  American  conti- 
nent long  before  its  discovery  by  Columbus,  their 
literature  gives  abundant  evidence ;  and  that  its 
aboriginal  inhabitants  were  descended  from  eastern 
peoples  is  generally  conceded,  though  the  theory 
that  American  antiquity  ante-dates  that  of  Asia,  is 
not  without  its  advocates. 

Humboldt,  from  his  observations  of  the  remains 
of  the  civiUzations  of  Mexico  and  Central  America, 
was  convinced  that  communication  had  existed 
between  the  eastern  and  western  continents,  evi- 
dence of  which  he  found  in  the  religious  symbols, 
the  architecture,  the  hieroglyphics,  and  the  social 
customs  made  manifest  by  these  ruins ;  and  the 
Abbe?  Brasseur  de  Bourbourg  shows  that  the  sym- 
bols of  phallic  worship,  once  so  prevalent,  and  still, 
to   some   extent,   practiced  in  the  East,  were  de- 

*  CoUectioMS  oftlie  New  York  Historical  Society  for  1814,  89, 
t  Says  E.  A.  Squier,  M.  A.,  "  *  *  *  none  of  the  ancient  works  of  this 
State,  (New  York, )  of  which  traces  remain,  displajing  any  considerable 
degree  of  regularity,  can  lay  claim  to  high  antiquity.  All  of  them  may  be 
referred,  with  certainty,  to  the  period  succeeding  the  commencement  of 
European  intercourse." — Antiguiiies  of  New  York  and  the  ]Vesi,  9. 

X  This  is  a  small  boulder  about  thirteen  inches  long  and  twelve  inches 
wide,  bearing  a  most  remarkable  inscription  and  figures,  which,  if  genu- 
ine, and  correctly  interpreted,  furnishes  what  is  supposed  to  be  the  ear- 
liest evidences  of  the  presence  of  Europeans  in  North  America.  It  dates 
back  to  a  period  earlier  than  the  discovery  of  New  England,  New  York 
or  Virginia,  a  hundred  years  earlier  than  the-founding  of  Plymouth  colony, 
and  within  twenty-three  years  of  the  discovery  of  the  new  continent  by 
Cabot.  It  has  been  reasonably  conjectured  by  the  author  of  Clark's 
Onondaga  to  be  a  sepulchral  monument,  erected,  possibly,  by  a  party  of 
Spaniards,  who,  stimulated  by  the  love  of  adventure,  allured  by  the  love 
of  gold,  or  driven  by  some  rude  blast  of  misfortune,  may  have  visited  that 
region  and  lost  one  of  their  number  by  death.  This  stone  was  found  some 
sixty  years  ago  at  Watervale,  in  the  town  of  Pompey,  in  Onondaga 
county,  which  town,  says  Dr.  Henry  S.  Holmes,  Librarian  of  the  State 
Library  at  Albany,  "  has  yielded  up  more  relics  of  the  aborigines  than 
any  other  place  in  this  State." 


scribed  by  the  Spanish  writers  at  the  time  of  the 
conquest.  "  These,"  says  Baldwin,  "with  the  ser- 
pent devices,  the  sun  worship,  and  the  remarkable 
knowledge  of  astronomy  that  existed  in  connection 
with  them,  show  a  system  of  religion,''  of  which, 
with  the  social  institutions  it  consecrated,  "Asia," 
says  the  Abb^,"  "  appears  to  have  been  the  cradle." 
"  The  traditions  of  these  countries,"  says  the  same 
author,  "  are  still  more  explicit.  Their  uniform 
testimony  is,  that  the  ancient  American  civiliza- 
tion came  originally  from  the  East  across  the 
ocean."  * 

The  origin  of  the  barbarous  Indians  of  North 
America  is  buried  in  even  greater  obscurity  than 
that  of  the  probable  aborigines  of  this  continent. 
Our  information  regarding  it  is  almost  wholly  tra- 
ditional and  conjectural.  Eiforts  have  been  made 
to  connect  them  with  the  Mound-builders  as  their 
progenitors,  and  there  are  able  .advocates  of  the 
theory  which  supposes  the  unity  of  the  races ;  but, 
says  Foster,!  ^  broad  chasm  is  to  be  spanned  before 
we  can  link  the  two,  who,  he  says,  "  were  essen- 
tially different  in  their  forms  of  government,  their 
habits  and  their  daily  pursuits."  The  former, 
"  since  known  to  the  white  man,  has  spurned  the 
restraints  of  a  sedentary  life,  which  attacfl  to  agri- 
culture, and  whose  requirements,  in  his  view,  are 
ignoble.  He  was  never  known  to  erect  structures 
which  should  survive  the  lapse  of  a  generation." 
"  The  Mound-builders,"  he  adds,  "cultivated  the 
soil  in  a  methodical  manner,  far  different  from  the 
mode  presented  by  the  present  Indians,"  and  he 
cites  as  evidence  "the  vestiges  of  ancient  garden- 
beds"  left  by  them.  Baldwin  says,  referring  to  the 
savage  tribes,  or  wild  Indians,  their  barbarism  was 
"  original ;"  there  was  nothing  to  indicate  that  they 
or  their  ancestors,  near  or  remote,  had  ever  been 
civilized,  "  even  to  the  extent  of  becoming  capable 
of  settled  life  or  organized  industry."|  He  adds, 
"the  constant  traditions  of  these  Indians,  sup- 
ported by  concurring  circumstantial  evidence,  ap- 
pears to  warrant  the  belief  that  they  came  to  this 
part  of  the  continent  originally  from  the  west,  or 
north-west,  at  a  period  too  late  to  connect  them  in 
this  way  with  the  Mound-builders."  After  referring 
to  the  skill  of  the  Mound-builders  in  the  ceramic 
and  other  arts,  he  asks,  "who  can  imagine  the 
Iroquois  or  Algonquins  working  the  copper  mines 
vi'ith  such  intelligence  and  skill,  and  such  a  com- 
bination  of  systematic  and  persistent   industry! 


*  Pre-Historic  Nations^  by  John  D.  Baldwin,  A.  M.,  391-395. 
t  Pre-Historic  Races  of  the  United  States,  347. 
i  Ancient  America,  59. 


PROBABLE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  AMERICAN  INDIANS. 


13 


They  had  no  tradition  of  such  a  condition  of  life, 
no  trace  of  it.  It  is  absurd  to  suppose  a  rela- 
tionship, or  a  connection  of  any  kind,  between 
the  original  barbarism  of  these  Indians  and  the 
civilization  of  the  Mound-builders.  The  two 
peoples  were  entirely  distinct  and  separate  from 
each  other.  If  they  really  belonged  to  the  same 
race,  which  is  extremely  doubtful,  we  must  go  back 
through  unnumbered  ages  to  find  their  common 
origin  and  the  date  of  their  separation."*  Says 
Bancroft,  "  It  has  been  asked  if  our  Indians  are 
not  the  wrecks  of  more  civilized  nations."  He 
answers :  "  Their  language  refutes  the  hypothesis, 
every  one  of  its  forms  is  a  witness  that  their  ances- 
tors were,  like  themselves,  not  yet  disenthralled 
from  nature."! 

Charlevoix  and  other  later  writers  have  entered 
into  elaborate  disquisitions  on  the  probable  origin 
of  the  American  Indian,  and  the  curious  reader 
will  find  much  to  interest,  if  not  to  instruct  him  on 
this  vexed  question.  The  theory  of  a  northwest- 
ern immigration  by  the  barbarous  hordes  of  Asia 
has  long  been  advocated  and  has  gained  credence 
among  modern  authors  generally.  John  de  Laet, 
a  Flemish  writer,  was  an  early  advocate  of  this 
theory  and  among  the  first  to  remark  3,  resem- 
blance in  the  features,  complexion  and  manners  of 
the  Scythians,  Tartars  and  Samoeides  and  those  of 
the  American  Indians.  "Ledyard,"  says  Bancroft, 
"whose  curiosity  filled  him  with  the  passion  to 
circumnavigate  the  globe  and  cross  its  continents, 
as  he  stood  in  Siberia,  with  men  of  the  Mongolian 
race  before  him,  and  compared  them  with  the 
Indians  who  had  been  his  old  playfellows  and 
schoolmates  at  Dartmouth  writes  deliberately  that, 
universally  and  circumstantially,  they  resemble  the 
aborigines  of  America.  On  the  Connecticut  and 
the  Obi,  he  saw  but  one  race."  "The  American 
and  Mongolian  races  of  men,  on  the  two  sides  of 
the  Pacific,"  adds  the  latter  author,  "have  a  near 
resemblance.  Both  are  alike  strongly  and  defi- 
nitely marked  by  the  more  capacious  palatine 
foBsa,  of  which  the  dimensions  are  so  much  larger 
that  a  careful  observer  could,  out  of  a  heap  of 
skulls,  readily  separate  the  Mongolian  and  Ameri- 
can from  the  Caucasian,  but  could  not  distinguish 
them  from  each  other.  Both  have  the  orbit  of  the 
eye  quadrangular,  rather  than  oval;  both,  especial- 
ly the  American,  have  comparatively  a  narrow- 
ness of  the  forehead ;  the  facial  angle  in  both, 
but  especially  in  the  American,  is  comparatively 

*  Ancient  America,  59-61. 

t  History  of  the  United  States,  II,  4i7' 


small;  in  both,  the  bones  of  the  nose  are  flatter 
and  broader  than  in  the  Caucasian,  and  in  so 
equal  a  degree,  and  with  apertures  so  similar,  that, 
on  indiscriminate  selections  of  specimens  from 
the  two,  an  observer  could  not,  from  this  feature, 
discriminate  which  of  them  belonged  to  the  old 
continent ;  both,  but  especially  the  Americans,  are 
characterized  by  a  prominence  of  the  jaws.  The 
elongated  occiput  is  common  to  the  American  and 
the  Asiatic;  and  there  is  to  each  very  nearly  the 
same  obliquity  of  the  face.  Between  the  Mon- 
golian of  Southern  Asia  and  of  Northern  Asia 
there  is  a  greater  difference  than  between  the 
Mongolian  Tartar  and  the  North  American.  The 
Iroquois  is  more  unlike  the  Peruvian  than  he  is 
unlike  the  wanderer  on  the  steppes  of  Siberia. 
Physiology  has  not  succeeded  in  defining  the  quali- 
ties which  belong  to  every  well-formed  Mongolian, 
and  which  never  belong  to  an  indigenous  Ameri- 
can; still  less  can  geographical  science  draw  a 
boundary  line  between  the  races."*  Priest's  obser- 
vations led  him  to  the  conclusion  that  "  Asia  and 
America  were  peopled  by  similar  races  of  men."t 
The  traditions  of  the  Lenni  Lenape  %  or  Dela- 
wares  as  they  are  called  by  the  English,  say  that  they 
"  resided  many  hundred  years  ago  in  a  very  distant 
country  in  the  western  part  of  the  American  conti- 
nent." They  resolved  to  migrate  eastward,  and  hav- 
ing reached  the  Mississippi,  then  fell  in  with  the 
Mengwe,  (Iroquois,)  who  had  likewise  emigrated 
from  a  distant  country  and  struck  upon  this  river 
somewhat  higher  up.  The  Iroquois,  like  the  Dela- 
wares,  were  preceding  eastward.  The  country  east 
of  the  Mississippi  was  inhabited  by  the  Alligewi,§  a 

*  History  of  the  United  States,  II.,  460,461. 

t  A  merican  A^quitifS. 

X  Lenni  Lenape,  says  Heckewelder,  who  spent  forty  years  among  the 
Indians  as  a  Moravian  missionary,  is  the  national  and  proper  name  of  the 
people  we  call  Delawares.  It  signifies  ^^  *■  original  people,'  a  race  of 
human  beings  who  are  the  same  that  they  were  in  the  beginning,  ««- 
changed  and  unmixed?'  The  Lenape  are  known  and  called,  he  says, 
by  all  the  western,  northern,  and  some  of  the  southern  nations,  by  the 
name  of  Wapanachki,  which,  among  them,  is  a  generic  name,  signifying 
"  'people  at  the  rising  of  the  sun,'  or  as  we  would  say,  Eastlanders" 
and  which  the  Europeans  corrupted  into  Abenaki,  Openagi,  Ahenaguis 
and  Abe7takis.-~(Introduction  to  Jlisiorical  Account  of  the  Indian 
Nations,  25-26.)  '*  The  term  Lenape,"  says  Schoolcraft,  '^  appears  to 
carry  the  same  meaning  as  inaba,  ainale,  and  the  word  was  probably 
used  nationally,  and  with  emphasis  in  the  sense  of  men."  Loskiel 
defines  the  name  *''  Lennilenape,"  as  meaning  **  Indian  tnen,^'  and  ^ays 
'^  the  name  Delawares  was  undoubtedly  first  given  them  by  the  Euro- 
peans."— {History  of  the  Mission  of  the  Uftiied  Brethren  among  tlie 
Indians  in  North  America,  hy  George  Kehrv  Loskiel,  Part  I.,  Chap. 
I.,  i.) 

§  "  It  is  generally  believed,"  says  Yates  and  Moulton^  (History  of  New 
York,)  "that  the  Allegewi,  QxAUeghans,  were  of  Welch  origin.  Priest" 
(American  Antiguities,)  traces  the  A liegewi  from  the  lake  country  to 
the  "vale  of  Mexico,  where  they  finally  and  permanently  rested,"  and 
there  assumed  the  name  of  Aziecas,  or  people  ofvthe  lakes.  The  course 
pursued  in  their  migration  is  marked  by  the  mounds  where  they  rested, 
or  dwelt  temporarily.  Schoolcraft  says,  **  they  occupied  a  large  portion 
of  the  western  area  of  the  State  of  New  York,  comprising  the  valley  cif 
the  Alleghany  river  to  its  utmost  source,  and extendingeastwardly  an  un- 
defined distance."  "The  Alleghany  river  and  mountains,"  says  Hecke- 
welder, have  "  indubitably  been  named  after  them." — (Historical  Ac- 
count of  the  Indian  Nations,  30.) 


14 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


powerful  nation,  of  great  physical  development, 
who  had  many  large  towns  and  regular  fortifica- 
tions of  earth  on  the  great  rivers  flowing  through 
their  lands.  They  denied  the  Leuape  the  privilege 
of  settling  in  their  neighborhood,  but  gave  them 
permission  to  pass  through  their  country  to  the 
eastward ;  when,  however,  they  observed  the  great 
numbers  of  the  latter  they  were  alarmed  and  treach- 
erously attacked  with  great  fury  those  who  had 
crossed  the  river, .  threatening  the  others  with 
destruction  if  they  persisted  in  crossing.  The 
Lenape,  being  too  weak  to  force  a  passage  against 
so  powerful  an  enemy,  made  common  cause  with 
the  Iroquois,  and  after  a  series  of  sanguinary 
battles,  continuing  through  many  years,  and  in 
volving  immense  losses  on  either  side,  the  AUigewi, 
to  avoid  destruction,  abandoned  their  country  and 
fled  down  the  Mississippi,  whence  they  never  re- 
turned.* 

These  traditions  agree  substantially  with  those 
of  the  Mahicans,t  who  inhabited  the  country 
immediately  east  of  the  Hudson,  and  were,  says 
Heckewelder,  a  branch  of  the  Lenape  family. 

The  Lenape  and  Iroquois  lived  peaceably  in  the 
conquered  territory  of  the  AUigewi  for  a  long 
period — "some  say  many  hundred  years" — and 
rapidly  increased  in  numbers.  Eventually  some 
of  the  more  enterprising  Lenape  hunters  and 
warriors  crossed  the  mountains  to  the  Atlantic  and 
discovered  the  Susquehanna  and  Delaware  rivers 
and   subsequently    the    Hudson.      After   a   long 

*  Heckewelder's  Historical  Account  of  the  Indian  Nations^  29-32. 

t  Joannes  De  Laet,  who  published  his  Mieuwe  Wereld\  or  description 
of  the  West  Indies,  as  the  country  was  then  denominated,  sixteen  years 
after  Hudson's  discovery,  designates  them  by  this  name ;  also  in  his 
map  of  Nova  Anglia  Novem  Belgium  et  Virginia,  (in  Novus  Orbis.) 
According  to  Messrs.  Dr.  Barton  and  Heckewelder,  ( Yates  and  Moui- 
ton^s  History  of  New  York^  za6,)  the  Mankikani  imd  Mahikans  of 
DeLafit ;  the  Mahiccanders  (Joost  Hartger's  work,  printed  in  Amster- 
dam, in  1651,)  Mohicanders  (Barton)  and  Nahikanders,  (Benson's 
Memoir,)  of  the  Dutch ;  the  ManhikaTis,  Mahikans  or  Mokegans,  ac- 
cording to  Prof.  Ebeling,  and  the  Mohegans  or  Mahhekanew,  the 
original  name  of  the  Mohegans,  (Gov.  Clinton  Dis.  2  N.  Y. :  H.  Col. 
41,)  according  to  the  English,  (See  Edwards  on  the  Mohegan  language  :) 
the  Mokiccans,  Mahiccon^  (Ch.  Thompson,  Esq.,)  and  lastly  the  Mahic- 
cans  and  Mahicanni-,  ( Barton  and  Heckewelder,)  were  aU  one  people, 
originally  a  branch  of  the  Delaware  nation.  The  name,  as  adopted  by 
the  early  French  writers,  and  given  by  La  Houtan  in  the  old  Algonkin,  is 
Mahingan-  (Ruttenber,  51.)  Heckewelder  says  he-is  unacquainted  with  the 
origin  of  the  name — Mahicanni — ( Ms  Communication  to  Dr.  Miller,  1801, 
in  Library  of  the  New  York  Hist.  Soc  )  Its  equivalent — the  word  Mohe- 
gan— says  Schoolcraft  is  not  the  true  Indian  term,  having  been  shorn  of  a 
part  of  its  true  sound  by  the  early  French,  Dutch  and  English  writers. 
"It  was  a  phrase  to  denote  an  enchanted  wolf,  or  a  wolf  of  supernatural 
power  "—the  wolf  being  "the  prevailing  totem  of  all  the  Hudson  River 
cantons."  The  modern  Mohegans  called  themselves  Muhhekaniew^  a 
term  correspondiuR,  apparently,  with  that  (Muhheakunnuk)  used  by 
Capt.  Hendrick,  the  Mohawk  Chieftain,  in  his^radition  of  the  Mahicans, 
which  simifies  "great  waters  or  sea,  which  are  constantly  in  motion, 
either  ebbing  or  flowing,"' and  which,  being  the  place  of  their  nativity, 
was  not  resembled  by  any  stream  in  their  migrations  towards  the  east 
until  they  reached  the  Hudson.  [.Indian  Tribes  of  Hudson^  s  River^  50, 
51.    Coll-  Mass.  Hist.  Soc,  IX  ,  loi.) 


absence  they  returned,  and  gave  so  favorable  an 
account  of  the  newly  discovered  country  as  to 
induce  the  belief  among  their  brethren  that  it  was 
"destined  for  them  by  the  Great  Spirit."  They 
emigrated  thither,  at  first  in  small  numbers,  till 
the  great  body  of  the  nation  had  made  it  their 
place  of  abode,  with  their  central  possessions  on 
the  Delaware.  Here  they  divided  themselves  into 
three  tribes.  The  Turtle,  the  Turkey,  and  the 
Wolf — calling  themselves  respectively,  the  Unamis, 
the  Unalachtgos,  and  the  Minsis.  The  former  two 
chose  for  their  place  of  settlement  the  country 
lying  nearest  to  the  seaj  while  the  Minsis,  who 
were  considered  the  most  warlike  and  active, 
located  to  the  northward,  between  them  and  the 
Iroquois,  who  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  the  great 
lakes  and  on  their  tributary  streams. 

The  Minsis'  territory  extended  originally  from 
the  head-waters  of  the  Delaware  and  Susque- 
hanna south  to  the  mountainous  regions  of  New 
Jersey  and  Pennsylvania,  and  from  the  Hudson 
west  and  south-west  far  beyond  the  Susquehanna. 
Their  council  fire  was  located  at  Minnisink. 

These  tribes,  says  Heckewelder,  multiplied  and 
separated  into  distinct  branches,  taking  the  names 
of  "simple  natural  objects,"  or  of  "something 
striking  or  extraordinary,"  and  settling  in  distant 
localities;  until,  he  says,  nearlyforty  tribes  honored 
them  with  the  title oi grandfather,  "a  title  which," 
says  Ruttenber,  "  some  of  them  continue  to  apply 
to  the  present  day."*  "  This  was  the  case  with  the 
Mahicanni  or  Mahicans,  in  the  east,  a  people  who 
by  intermarriage  had  become  a  detached  body, 
mixing  two  languages  together,  and  forming  out 
of  the  two  a  dialect  of  their  own :  choosing  to  live 
by  themselves,  they  had  crossed  the  Hudson  River, 
naming  it  Mahicannituck  River  after  their  assumed 
name,  and  spread  themselves  over  all  that  country 
which  now  composes  the  eastern  states."  f  This 
statement  of  Heckewelder's  warrants  the  assump- 
tion that  the  Mahicans,  who  inhabited  the  coun- 
try east  of  the  Hudson,  were  the  progenitors  of  the 
Pequots  and  Mohegans,  who  inhabited  Connecticut 
and  the  country  north  of  it,  and  were  believed  by  Dr. 
Trumbull  to  be  one  tribe,  taking  their  names  "from 

*  Indian  Tribes  of  Hudsot^s  River,  47. 

"  The  Delawares  call  all  Tuitions,  (except  the  Uengwa,  as  they,  or 
'  Maqua,'  as  the  Mahicanni  term  the  Five  Nations  or  Iroquois,  and 
except  the  Wyandots  or  Hurons,)  this  side  of  the  Mississippi,  and  even 
beyond  it :  all  the  southern  nations,  all  the  eastern,  and  those  of  the 
Canadas  (except  as  above,) 'iV<7(7fAwwjai,'  that  is,  ' my  grandchild- 
ren ;,'  and  these  all  acknowledge  the  Delawares  their  '  Mochomes,'ita.i 
is,  'their  grandfather.'  "—Yates  and  Moulton's  History  of  New 
York,  217. 

Schoolcraft  bears  equally  strong  testimony  to  this  fact. 

^Heckeweldet's  Historical  Account  of  the  IncUan  Nations,  26  35. 


EARLIEST  ACCOUNTS  OF  THE  MAHICANS. 


IS 


the  place  of  their  situation."*  "The  Pequot  country 
proper,"  says  Ruttenber,  was  principally  within  the 
three  towns  of  New  London,  Groton  and  Stoning- 
ton  ;"t  and  that  author,  as  well  us  Gallatin  J  and 
DeForrest,§  assumes  the  identity  as  to  race  of  the 
Mahicans,  Pequots  and  Mohegans,  though  he  as- 
serts a  distinct  tribal  organization.  ||  Elsewhere 
Heckewelder  quotes  authorities  IT  supposing  the 
identity  of  the  Mahicans  and  Pequots.** 

The  Mahicans,  who,  says  O'Callaghan,  ("the 
Mahicanders  or  River  Indians,")  lined  the  Hud- 
son on  either  side  to  its  mouth,tt  '^^.d,  according 
to  Heckewelder's  account,  been  confined  to  the 
east  bank  of  the  river  at  the  time  of  Hudson's 
advent  in  1609.  Heckewelder's  information  "  of 
the  extent  of  country  the  Mahicanni  inhabited," 
(the  best  he  could  obtain,)  "  was  from  an  aged  and 
intelligent  man  of  this  nation,  whose  grandfather 
had  been  a  noted  chief."  He  said  the  western 
boundary  was  the  Mahicanniltuck,  (the  Hudson  or 
North  River ;)  and  that  their  "  settlement  extended 
on  the  east  side  of  this  river  froni  Thuphane  or  Tup- 
hanne,  (a  Delaware  word  for  cold  stream,  from 
which  the  whites  have  derived  the  name  Tappan,) 
to  the  extent  of  tide  water  up  this  river;  here  was 
the  uppermost  town.  From  thence  our  towns  were 
scattered  throughout  the  country  on  the  smaller 
rivers  and  creeks."  "  Our  nearest  neighbors  on 
the  east,"  continues  the  narrative,  "  were  Warapano. 
These  inhabited  the  Connecticut  river  Jf  down- 
wards, and  had  their  largest  town  where  the  sea 
runs  a  great  way  into  the  land,  and  where  the  white 
people  have  since  built  a  town,  which  they  call  New 
Haven.  These  (the  Wampano)  were  in  possession 
of  an  island,  which  the  white  people  call  Rhode 
Island.  Adjoining  the  Wampano,  east,  were  the 
Munachkcanni  ;  next  to  these  the  Paamnakto  ;  then 
the  Patuchtinnau ;  then  the  Wawidchtenno,  and  the 
Machtitschwdnnau.  These  latter  lived  at  or  near 
a  place  on  the  sea,  where  there  were  a  number  of 
islands  together,  through  which  a  strong  current 
ran,  wherefore  they  were  called  by  this  name, 
which  signifieth  the  same.  All  these  nations  were 
with  the  Mahicanni  Hke  one,  and  assisted  their 
grandfather,  the  Delawares,  in  carrying  on  the  war 

*  History  of  Connecticut. 

t  Indian  Tribes  of  Hudson^s  River.,  4J,  (note.) 

X  Gallatin.  II ,  34- 

§  History  of  the  Indians  of  Connecticut. 
>      11  Indian  Tribes  of  Hudson^ s  River-,  44. 

H  Coll.  Mass.  His.  Soc.  IX,  77.     Trumbull^s  History  of  Connecticut, 
I,  28. 

**  Historical  Account  of  the  Indian  Nations,  78. 

tt  His.ory  of  New  Netherland,  I.,  47. 

%\  Connecticoota,  meaning  Long  River,  was  the  Indian  name.— Judge 
Benson's  Memoir. 


against  the  common  enemy  the  Maqua,  until  the 
white  people  had  come  into  their  country.  Our 
grandfather  (the  Delawares,)  owned  and  inhabited 
all  the  country  from  the  extent  of  tide-water  above 
Gdschtenick*  to  the  extent  of  tide-water,  in  a  river 
far  to  the  south,  where  a  place  was  called  Pathd- 
mook  or  Pate-ham-inok.\  Clean  across  this  extent 
of  country  (viz,  from  Albany  to  the  Potomac,)  our 
grandfather  had  a  long  house,  with  a  door  at  each 
end,  one  door  being  z.X  Pate-ham-mok,  and  the  oth- 
er at  Gdschtenick ;  which  doors  were  always  open 
to  all  the  nations  united  with  them.  To  this  house 
the  nations  from  ever  so  far  off  used  to  resort, 
and  smoke  the  pipe  of  peace  with  their  grandfather. 
The  white  people  coming  over  the  great  water,  un- 
fortunately landed  at  each  end  of  this  long  house 
of  our  grandfathers,  and  it  was  not  long  before  they 
began  to  pull  the  same  down  at  both  ends.  Our 
grandfather  still  kept  repairing  the  same,  though 
obUged  to  make  it  from  time  to  time  shorter,  until 
at  length  the  white  people,  who  had  by  this  time 
grown  very  powerful,  assisted  the  common  ene- 
my, the  Maqua,  in  erecting  a  strong  house  on 
the  ruins  of  their  grandfathers.''^  This  accords 
substantially  with  a  communication  from  Dr.  Bar- 
ton, which  says,  "  the  Mahicans  occupied  *  *  *  ■ 
the  east  side  of  the  Hudson,  from  a  site  opposite 
to  Albany  down  to  the  Tappan  Sea.  They  were 
chiefly  confined  to  the  Hudson  shore,  or  within  ten 
or  fifteen  miles  east  of  it."§  "Tliese  were  the 
people  that  swarmed  the  eastern  banks  of  the  river 
when  Hudson  sailed  by  their  settlements,  from  the 
borders  of  the  Manhattans  to  the  tide-water  beyond 
Albany.  They  were  so  much  more  numerous  than 
other  Indians  on  the  same  river,  that  they  in  par- 
ticular were  subsequently  denominated  the  River 
Indians."|| 

Wassenar,  an  early  Dutch  writer,  states  that  at 
the  time  of  the  discovery,  the  Mahicans  held 
twenty-five  (seventy-five  English)  miles  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Orange, 
which  was  built  on  their  lands  ;  but  concludes  with 
the  statement  that  the  Maquas  (Iroquois)  held  the 
west  shore.  This  latter  statement  harmonized  with 
that  of  DeLaet,  who  wrote  in  1625;  and,  sajs 
Ruttenber,  if  it  is  considered  that  Wassenar  wrote 
"at  different  periods  extending  from  1621  to  1632, 

*  The  Mahicanni  name  for  Albany. 

t  The  Potomac.  This  is  a  Delaware  word  which  signifies  "an  arrival 
of  persons  hy  water. ^^ 

%  Heckewelder's  Ms.  Communication  to  Dr.  Miller,  iSoi.  Library 
New  York  Hist.  Soc.  Yates  and  Moulton's  History  of  New  York, 
217-229. 

§  Ms.  with  New  York  Hist.  Soc. 

11  Yaif^s  and  Moulton^s  History  of  New  York,  230. 


i6 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


his  account  will  be  found  entirely  consistent  with 
itself."  "  From  information  subsequently  obtained, 
however,"  adds  Ruttenber,  "and  especially  that 
furnished  by  treaties  and  other  documentary  papers, 
it  would  appear  that  at  the  time  of  the  discovery,  the 
Mahkans  held  possession  under  sub-tribal  organi- 
zations, of  the  east  bank  of  the  river  from  an  un- 
defined point  north  of  Albany  to  the  sea,  includ- 
ing Long  Island;  and  that  their  dominion  extended 
east  to  the  Connecticut,  where  they  joined  kindred 
tribes ;  that  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Hudson  they 
ran  down  as  far  as  Catskill,  and  west  to  Schenec- 
tady."* Messrs.  Yates  and  Moulton  think  it 
"probable  that  they  had  in  former  times  reached 
to  the  head-waters  of  the  Hudson,  until  they  met 
their  rivals  in  the  vicinity  of  Lacus  Irocoisia, 
(Champlain,)  or  near  the  Green  Mountains  west  of 
that  lake.  There  is  no  doubt  they  once  owned 
and  occupied  the.  Saratoga  tract,  now  including  a 
county  of  that  name  in  this  State."t 


CHAPTER  11. 

The  Iroquois  Family — TheAlgonkin  Family — 
Their  Inherent  Weakness — Universality 
OF  their  Language — The  Dela wares — Rel- 
ative Rank  of  the  Three  Tribes  of  the 
Delawares — Their  Organization  and  Gov- 
ernment— Succession  of  Chieftaincies  He- 
reditary in  the  Female  Line  —  Duties  and 
Powers  of  the  Chief — Indian  Mode  of  Ex- 
piating Murder — Organization  and  Gov- 
ernment OF  THE  MaHICANS — METHOD  OF  DE- 
CLARING War  —  Offensive  and  Defensive 
Weapons — Preparations  for  War — Endur- 
ance and  Sufferings  of  Indian  Warriors — 
Indian  Torture — Indian  Totems. 

WHEN   the   Europeans   first  had  inter- 
course  with  the  aborigines  of   North 
America,  the  latter  consisted  of  two  great  famiUes, 

*  Indian  Tribes  of  H-udsan's  Rivtr,  34.  Wassenar's  Historie  Van 
Euro^a,  Amsterdam  16ZI-1632. 

t  History  of  New  York,  95,  230.  From  the  translation  of  the  Sara- 
toga purchase,  (among  the  manuscripts  of  the  New  York  Hist.  Soc.,)  say 
these  authors,  (230,  note,)  it  appears  that  the  * 'iWarAf>tff«rf"  Indians  were 
present  at  the  court-house  in  A'bany,  July  a6,  1683,  at  the  purchase  of 
the  lands  at  Saratoga,  and  saw  the  Mohawks  receive  payment.  Being 
required  to  say  whether  they  had  any  claim  on  the  lands,  they  then  de- 
clared that  they  desisted  from  all  right  and  ownership  which  they  former- 
ly had  thereto,  deferring  to  the  discretion  of  the  purchasers  to  give  them 
something  of  an  acknowledgment  or  not,  as  it  was  their  land  of  old, 
before  the  Mohawks  conquered  (or  won )  it.  They  also  signed  a  quit- 
claim or  memorandum,  declaring  in  the  name  of  the  whole  nation  who 
might  have  any  pretension  to  the  same,  that  they  would,  so  far  as  respects 
their  Nation,  clear  them  from  all  demands.  Whereupon  the  purchasers 
gave  them  seven  duffels  garments,  as  a  w^Wfon'fl/ of  the  aforesaid  pur- 
chase, two  half  casks  of  beer,  and  two  kegs  of  wine.  Albany  Records, 
C.  fol.  290. 


who  are  at  present  known  as  the  Iroquois*  and 
the  Algonkins.f  The  immediate  dominion  of  the 
Iroquois  proper,  or  Five  Nations,  extended  from 
the  borders  of  Vermont  to  Western  New  York,  and 
from  the  lakes  to  the  head-waters  of  the  Ohio, 
Susquehanna  and  Delaware.  To  the  north  and 
west  lay  the  Huron,  Neutral  and  Erie  nations,  and 
to  the  south  the  Andastes,  all  kindred  tribes  of  the 
Iroquois  family. 

The  Algonkin  family  was  much  more  numerous 
than  that  of  the  Iroquois,  but  lost  much  of  its 
eifective  strength  by  being  dispersed  over  a  wide 
extent  of  country.  This  made  many  of  its  tribes 
an  easy  prey  to  the  rapacity  of  the  Iroquois,  who, 
from  the  want  of  thorough  concert  of  action  among 
their  enemies — for  though  cognate  they  were  not 
coherent — were  enabled  to  attack  and  subdue  them 
in  detail.  "  The  primitive  lafaguage  which  was  the 
most  widely  diffused,  and  the  most  fertile  in  dia- 
lects," says  Bancroft,  "received  from  the  French 
the  name  of  Algonkin.  It  was  the  mother  tongue 
of  those  who  greeted  the  colonists  of  Raleigh  at 
Roanoke,  and  of  those  who  welcomed  the  pilgrims 
to  Plymouth.  It  was  heard  from  the  Bay  of  Gasp^ 
to  the  valley  of  the  Des  Moines;  from  Cape  Fear, 
and,  it  may  be,  from  the  Savannah,  to  the  land  of 
the  Esquimaux ;   from  the  Cumberland  River  of 

*  This  was  the  French  name  for  the  five  confederate  nations  of  Indians 
who  resided  mostly  within  this  State,  and  was  given  them,  says  Charle- 
voix, because  they  usually  began  and  finished  their  speeches  with  the  word 
hiro,  which  means,  "  I  say,"  or  "  I  have  said,"  and  combined  as  an  affix 
with  the  word  Koue,  is  an  exclamation  expressing  joy  or  sorrow,  accord- 
ing as  the  pronunciation  is  long  or  short.  {Gameai^s  History  of  Can- 
ada.') By  the  Dutch  they  were  called  "Maquas."  They  denominated 
themselves  "Mingoes,"  meaning  United  People.  (Clark's  Onondaga.) 
Their  true  name  is  "  Hodenosaunee, "  or  "  People  of  the  Long  House," 
because  the  five  nations  were  ranged  in  a  long  line  through  Central  New 
York,  and  likened  to  one  of  their  long  bark  houses.  (Parkman's 
Jesuits.)  Loskiel  says  "they  call  themselves  AqiianuschUmi,  that  is. 
United  People  ;  always  to  remind  each  other  that  their  safety  and  power 
consists  in  a  mutual  strict  adherence  to  their  alliance."  (Mission  of  the 
United  Brethren,  Part  I.,  Chap.  I.,  l.)  They  also  call  themselves 
"Canossioone,"  or  "  Konossione,"  meaning,  in  the  Iroquois  language, 
"the  whole  house,  or  all  the  Indians  together."  (Colonial History,  IV., 
78,  196. ) 

They  were  subsequently  denominated  the  Six  Nations  on  the  admis- 
sion to  their  confederacy  in  171 3,  of  the  remnant  of  the  Tuscaroras,  who 
formerly  belonged  to  them,  (Colonial  History,  V.,  176,  387,)  and  who, 
in  resisting  the  encroachments  of  the  proprietaries  of  North  Carolina, 
who  assigned  their  lands  to  the  German  Palatines,  were  almost  destroyed 
in  their  fort  on  the  River  Taw,  March  26,  1713,  having  lost  80a  in  pris- 
oners, who  were  sold  as  slaves  to  the  allies  of  the  English.  The  Tusca- 
roras were  assigned  lands  by  the  Oneidas,  west  of  and  in  close  proximity 
to  them,  and  they,  like  the  Oneidas,  remained  friendly  to  tile  colonists 
during  the  Revolutionary  war,  while  the  rest  of  the  Six  Nations  mostly 
remained  the  allies  of  the  English. 

t  The  French  called  them  .Adirondacks,  or,  more  properly,  a  tribe  liv- 
ing in  Canada,  bearing  the  family  name.  (Colonial  History,  V.,  791,)* 
In  Iroquois  the  name  signifies  "tree  eaters,"  (Colonial  History^  IV., 
899,)  and  was  given  them  in  derision  by  the  Mohawks,  because,  subsist- 
ing mostly  by  the  chase,  during  the  long  Canadian  winters  when  game  was 
scarce,  they  were  driven  by  hunger  to  subsist  for  many  weeks  together 
upon  the  buds  and  bark  and  sometimes  upon  the  young  wood  of  forest 
trees. 


ORGANIZATION  AND  GOVERNMENT  OF  THE  DELAWARES. 


17 


Kentucky  to  the  southern  bank  of  the  Missinipi. 
It  was  spoken,  though  not  exclusively,  in  a  territory 
that  extended  through  sixty  degrees  of  longitude 
and  more  than  twenty  degrees  of  latitude."* 

We  have  in  a  preceding  chapter  followed  the 
Delawares,  the  principal  branch  of  the  Algonkin 
family,  in  their  migrations  from  the  west  to  the 
east,  and  fixed  the  location  of  the  Mahicans,  a 
branch  of  the  Delawares,  at  the  period  of  Euro- 
pean settlement,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson. 
The  Delawares,  as  we  have  seen,  were  divided 
into  three  tribes,  of  whom,  says  Loskiel,  "  the 
Unami  are  considered  as  the  head  of  the  nation, 
the  Wunalachtikos  are  next  in  rank,  and  then 
follow  the  Monsys."\  Each  tribe  was  but  a  union 
of  families,!  and  each  had  a  chief,  who,  says  Los- 
kiel, was  nothing  more  than  the  most  respected 
among  his  equals  in  rank.  Each  chief,  he  adds, 
had  his  counselors,  who  were  "  either  experienced 
warriors,  or  aged  and  respectable  fathers  of  fami- 
lies." These  constituted  the  council,  "  appointed 
to  watch  over  the  welfare  of  the  tribe."  In  mat- 
ters regarding  the  whole  nation  they  s'ent  repre- 
sentatives to  attend  a  general  council.  It  was 
imperative  that  the  chief  be  a  member  of  the 
tribe  in  which  he  presided.  He  was  not  chosen 
by  his  own  tribe,  but  by  the  chiefs  of  the  two 
other  tribes,  who,  with  their  counselors  and  whole 
tribes,  moved  in  procession  with  singing  towards 
the  place  appointed  for  the  election  to  take  place, 
entering  the  council  house  at  the  east  end.  The 
succession  depended  on  birth,  and  was  inherited 
through  the  female  line.  The  child  belonged  to 
the  clan  of  the  mother,  not  that  of  the  father, 
from  whom  it  could  not  inherit  anything.  All 
rank,  titles  and  possessions  passed  through  the 
female.  The  son  of  a  chief  could  never  be  a 
chief  by  hereditary  title,  though  he  might  become 
one  through  personal  merit ;  but  a  grandson,  great- 
grandson  or  nephew  might  succeed  him. 

"  This  system  of  clanship  with  the  rule  of 
descent  inseparable  from  it,  was,"  says  Park- 
man,  "  of  very  wide  prevalence.  Indeed,  it  is 
more  than  probable  that  close  observation  would 
have  detected  it  in  every  tribe  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi; while  there  is  positive  evidence  of  its  ex- 
istence in  by  far  the  greater  number."  The  Chip- 
pewas,  however,  furnished  an  exception  to  this 
rule.  With  them,  says  Loskiel,  the  son  of  a 
chief  had  a  legal  right  to  succeed  his  father. 

*  History  of  the  United  States,  II.,  394-J9S- 

t  History  of  the  Mission  of  the  United  Brethren  among  the  Indians 
in  North  America,  Part  I.,  Chap.  I.,  p.  '■. 
X  Bancroft's  History  of  the  United  States,  II.,  417. 


This  rule,  though  binding,  was  very  elastic,  and 
capable  of  stretching  to  the  farthest  Hmits  of  the 
tribe.  Invariably  with  the  Delawares  the  chief 
was  succeeded  by  a  near  relative,  well  acquainted 
with  the  affairs  of  the  State,  but  he  must  always 
be  acceptable  to  the  whole  nation. 

The  new  chief  was  inducted  into  office  by  a 
formal  council  of  the  chiefs  of  the  nation,  who  en- 
joined on  him  his  duties  regarding  the  preserva- 
tion or  re-establishment  of  peace,  and  admonished 
him  not  to  meddle  with  the  affaiis  of  war,  but  to 
keep  his  people  from  it,  continually  to  attend  to 
the  welfare  of  his  nation,  and  willingly  hear  their 
remonstrances  if  he  should  commit  a  fault.  He 
was  required,  with  the  advice  of  his  counselors,  to 
keep  good  order  amongst  his  tribe,  and  to  decide 
all  quarrels  and  disputes;  but  he  could  neither 
command,  compel  nor  punish,  as  in  that  case  he 
would  have  been  forsaken  by  the  whole  tribe. 
Every  word  savoring  of  command  was  immediately 
rejected  with  contempt  by  the  Indian,  who  was 
always  jealous  of  his  liberty.  He  was  compelled 
to  keep  up  his  reputation  and  enforce  his  authority 
by  a  prudent,  courteous  and  winning  behavior. 
He  held  his  office  by  reason  of  merit  and  the 
esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  the  people,  and 
forfeited  that  distinction  when  this  esteem  was 
lost.  A  respect  for  native  superiority  and  a 
willingness  to  yield  to  it  were  always  conspicuous. 
As  he  was  not  vested  with  the  power  to  punish, 
neither  was  it  his  prerogative  to  pardon.  The 
punishment  of  murder  and  other  atrocious  crimes 
was  relegated  to  the  injured  family. 

It  was  the  duty  of  the  chief  to  entertain  stran- 
gers to  visit  the  tribe  on  business,  also  ambassadors 
from  other  nations ;  but  if  their  number  was  too 
great  they  were  put  into  a  separate  house,  and 
their  wants  supplied  at  the  public  expense.  That 
he  might  be  able  to  dispense  this  hospitality  with- 
out impoverishment,  the  men  of  his  tribe  furnished 
him  with  game,  and  the  women  assisted  his  wife 
in  her  plantations.  When  he  designed  visiting 
another  chief  he  sent  him  a  piece  of  tobacco,  with 
this  message :  "  Smoke  of  this  tobacco  and  look 
towards  my  dwelling,  then  thou  shalt  see  me  com- 
ing towards  thee  on  such  a  day." 

The  chief  received  no  compensation  for  his  ser- 
vices. Honor  and  esteem  were  his  chief  rewards ; 
shame  and  being  despised  his  punishment.  The 
principal  men  were  generally  poorer  than  the 
common  people;  for  they  affected  to  give  away 
and  distribute  all  the  presents  and  plunder  they 
got  by  treaty  or  in  war.     Thus  while  the  system 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


held  out  ample  incentives  to  valorous  achievement, 
there  was  nothing  to  tempt  the  covetous  and 
sordid.* 

"  A  captain,"  says  Loskiel,  from  whose  interest- 
irfg  account  these  facts  are  mostly  derived,  "  is  the 
chief's  right  hand.  He  must  undertake  everything 
committed  to  him  by  the  chief,  even  at  the  hazard 
of  his  Ufe,  for  his  duty  as  captain  requires  this  of 
him.  But  if  he  is  either  wounded  or  killed  by  the 
enemy,  the  whole  nation  joins  in  revenging  his 
death."  The  office  of  captain  is  neither  elective 
nor  hereditary,  but  is  bestowed  as  a  recognition  of 
ability  in  war. 

"The  principal  duty  of  the  first  chief  of  the 
Delawares,"  says  the  same  author,  "is  to  maintain 
the  peace  and  covenants  made  between  them  and 
the  rest  of  the  Indian  nations  and  Europeans.  He 
therefore  carries  on  a  kind  of  correspondence  with 
them,  with  a  view  to  be  always  acquainted  with 
their  disposition  towards  his  people.  He  also 
sends  embassies,  but  generally  with  the  advice  and 
consent  of  the  two  other  chiefs.  If  the  Europeans 
or  Indians  send  a  disagreeable  message,  the  chiefs  ■ 
answer  has  always  a  double  meaning.  It  would 
be  deemed  very  rude  to  inquire  an  explanation, 
and  against  the  law  of  the  State  to  give  one."  For 
small  mistakes  he  was  admonished  by  his  people  ; 
but  for  any  misdemeanor  jeopardizing  the  com- 
monwealth he  was  reprimanded  by  the  two  other 
chiefs,  and  for  continued  delinquency  he  was  for- 
saken and  his  power  at  an  end. 

"  The  governments  of  the  aborigines,"  says  Ban- 
croft, "  scarcely  differed  from  each  other,"  except 
as  accident  gave  a  predominance  to  one  or  the 
other  of  the  elements  entering  into  them.  "  Each 
village  governed  itself  as  if  independent,  and  each 
after  the  same  analogies,  without  variety.  If  the. 
observer  had  regard  to  the  sachems,  (whom  Los- 
kiel calls  chiefs,)  the  government  seemed  mon- 
archial,  but,  as  of  measures  that  concerned  all 
they  could  not  conclude  aught  unto  which  the 
people  were  averse  and  every  man  of  due  age  was 
admitted  to  council,  it  might  also  be  described  as 
a  democracy.  In  council,  the  people  were  guided 
by  the  eloquent,  carried  away  by  the  brave ;  and 
this  influence,  which  was  recognized  and  regular  in 
its  action,  appeared  to  constitute  an  oligarchy.f 

Such  substantially  was  the  organization  and  gov- 
ernment of  the  Mahican  and  other  branches  of  the 
Delaware  nation,  neither  of  whom  had  a  written 
con^itution.     The  Mahicans  had  a  chief  sachem, 

*CalderCs  Five  Indian  Nations.     O'Callaglian's  New  Netherland-, 
I,Sb. 
t  History  of  the  United  States^  //.,  428. 


who  was  chosen  by  the  nation,  with  the  title  to 
the  office  hereditary  in  the  lineage  of  his  wife. 
He  remained  at  all  times  with,  and  consulted  the 
welfare  of  his  tribe,  and  concluded  all  of  the 
treaties  in  their  behalf.  He  had  charge  of  the 
mnoti,  or  peace  bag,  which  contained  the  strings 
and  belts  of  wampum,  which  were  the  tokens  of 
amity  between  his  and  other  tribes  and  nations. 
He  was  assisted  by  counselors  called  chiefs,  and 
by  three  others,  who  were  respectively  denominated 
hero,  owl,  and  runner.  Both  the  hero  and  owl 
were  offices  of  merit ;  the  former  was  bestowed  on 
those  only  distinguished  by  prowess  and  prudence 
in  war ;  and  the  recipient  of  the  latter  must  be  a 
good  speaker,  with  a  retentive  memory.  The 
heroes  were  charged  with  the  execution  of  war 
when  that  was  decided  on  in  council ;  the  owl  sat 
beside  his  sachem  and  with  a  foud  voice  proclaimed 
his  orders  to  the  people;  he  also  rose  at  day-light, 
aroused  the  people,  and  summoned  them  to  their 
daily  duties.  The  office  of  the  runner  was  to  carry 
messages  and  convene  councils.* 

The  chief  or  sachem  could  not  declare  war  with- 
out the  consent  of  the  captains,  and  when  war  was 
determined  on  the  care  of  the  tribe  or  nation  passed 
for  the  time  being  from  the  former  to  the  latter, 
who  relinquished  it  to  the  civil  authorities  again 
when  peace  was  proposed.  The  Delawares,  Uke 
the  Iroquois,  but  uhUke  some  other  nations,  did 
not  declare  war  by  a  formal  message  ;  but  sent  out 
a  small  party,  who  killed  and  scalped  the  first  man 
they  met  belonging  to  the  nation  they  intended  to 
engage,  then  cleaved  the  scull  with  a  hatchet, 
which  was  left  in  it,  or  laid  a  war-club,  painted  red, 
upon  the  body  of  the  victim. 

But  little  preparation  for  war  was  needed.  The 
primitive  ofi'ensive  weapons  were  bows,  arrows  and 
clubs.  The  latter  were  made  of  the  hardest  wood, 
not  quite  the  length  of  a  man's  arm,  and  very 
heavy,  with  a  large  round  knob  at  one  end.  Their 
weapon  of  defense  was  a  shield  made  of  the  tough 
hide  of  a  buffalo,  on  the  concave  side  of  which  they 
received  the  arrows  and  darts  of  the  enemy.  These, 
however,  were  laid  entirely  aside  by  the  Delawares 
and  Iroquois,  even  while  the  bow,  arrows  and  club 
were  in  vogue ;  and  fire-arms  were  substituted  for 
the  latter  weapons  on  the  advent  of  the  Europeans. 
But  previous  to  the  substitution  of  guns  they  sup- 
plemented the  knobs  of  their  clubs  with  nails  and 
pieces  of  iron.  To  the  arrows  of  the  Indians  who 
greeted  Hudson  in  1609,  points,  consisting  of  sharp 
stones,  were  fastened  with  pitch.     Their  sole  pro- 

*  Stockiridge,  Past  and  Presimt. 


METHODS  WHILE  ENGAGED  IN  WARFARE— TORTURES— TOTEMS. 


19 


vision  on  such  occasions  consisted  of  pounded  corn 
and  maple  sugar.  The  night  previous  to  their  de- 
parture was  spent  in  aUmentary  debauchery  and 
dancing.  A  feast  of  dog's  flesh  was  always  provided 
on  such  occasions.*  They  were  always  followed 
to  their  first  night's  encampment,  (which  was  usu- 
ally but  two  or  three  miles  from  the  village,)  by 
the  women,  who  took  with  them  their  old  clothes 
and  brought  back  the  finery  in  which  they  marched 
from  the  castle. 

They  often  made  long  and  tedious  marches  to 
the  lands  of  their  enemies  ;  and  as  their  provisions 
soon  gave  out,  it  became  necessary  to  spend  some 
days  in  hunting.  They  dispersed  through  the 
woods  for  that  purpose;  but  returned  to  the  place 
of  rendezvous  exactly  at  the  time  appointed.  No 
one  had  precedence  during  the  march,  not  even 
the  captain.  Their  provisions  were  divided  in 
equal  shares,  however  small  the  portion  allotted  to 
each.  The  Indian  warriors  possessed  astonishing 
patience  and  perseverance,  encountered  incredible 
dangers,  and  lived  upon  the  most  scanty  fare  ;  for 
as  soon  as  they  entered  the  enemy's  country  they 
could  hunt  no  longer,  and  though  they  had  always 
sufficient  provisions  for  some  days,  being  frequently 
under  the  necessity  of  hiding  for  several  weeks  in 
the  woods  before  venturing  an  attack,  they  suf- 
fered incredibly  from  hunger  and  other  inconven- 
iences. The  utmost  care  was  exercised  to  prevent 
premature  discovery  and  elude  pursuit.  They  al- 
ways recorded  these  exploits  by  the  aid  of  mne- 
monic symbols,  rudely  sketched  on  the  smooth  side 
of  a  piece  of  bark,  peeled  for  that  purpose  from  a 
tree — usually  an  oak,  as  being  most  durable. 

The  horrible,  cruel  and  remorseless  tortures  with 
which  they,  in  common  with  other  Indians,  per- 
secuted their  prisoners,  forms  one  of  the  blackest 
pages  in  their  history ;  while  ,the  heroism  and  forti- 
tude with  which  they  endured  these  tortures  is  the 
marvel  of  civiUzation.  Even  women  were  not 
exempt  from  them  ;  for  both  men  and  women  were 
inexorably  subjected  to  the  most  revolting  and 
ignominious  tortures,  even  to  burning  alive,  though 
the  latter  less  frequently  than  the  former.  Not  all 
their  captives,  however,  were  subjected  to  torture; 
for  many  were  adopted  into  the  families  of  those 
who  had  lost  friends  and  relatives  in  the  war.  Ter- 
rible as  were  these  tortures,  they  are  not  without  a 
parallel  in  the  history  of  civilized  nations;  and 
there  is  the  added  virtue  that  they  were  measura- 
bly free  from  that  vindictiveness  which  was  the  in- 
spiring genius  of  the  latter.     With  them  it  was  a 

•  Colden's  Five  Indian  Nations, 


matter  of  education  ;  for,  says  DeWitt  Clinton,  "to 
produce  death  by  the  most  protracted"  suffering 
was  sanctioned  among  them  by  general  immemo- 
rial usage."  Bancroft  significantly  says  :  "We  call 
them  cruel ;  yet  they  never  invented  the  thumb- 
screw, or  the  boot,  or  the  rack,  or  broke  on  the 
wheel,  or  exiled  bands  of  their  nations  for  opinion's 
sake  ;  and  never  protected  the  monopoly  of  a  medi- 
cine man  by  the  gallows,  or  the  block,  or  by  fire,"* 
As  each  tribe  had  its  sachem  and  chief  or  cap- 
tain, so  also  each  had  its  specific  device  or  totem, 
denoting  original  consanguinity.  The  totems  of  the 
Mahicans  were  the  Bear,  the  Wolf  and  the  Turtle. 
The  former,  which,  says  Ruttenber,  "  appear  to 
have  been  inoccupation  in  the  vicinity  of  Albany,"! 
was  according  to  Mahican  tradition,  "  considered 
the  leading  totem  and  entitled  to  the  office  of  chief 
sachem."  These  totems  were  universally  respected, 
and  were  often  tatooed  on  the  person  of  the  In- 
dian and  even  rudely  painted  on  the  gable-end  of 
his  cabin,  some  in  black,  others  in  red.  They  en- 
titled the  wandering  savage  to  the  hospitality  of 
the  wigwam  which  bore  the  emblem  corresponding 
with  his  own.  These  devices  consisted  of  ani- 
mals, birds,  etc.  They  had  various  uses,  but  the 
most  important  was  that  which  denoted  tribal 
relation. 


CHAPTER  III. 


Aborigines  of  Duchess  County  —  Divisions 
OF  THE  Mahicans — Their  Territorial  Pos- 
sessions— The  Wappingers — Supposed  Iden- 
tity with  the  Sanhikans  and  Sankikani — 
Conflicting  Statements  Respecting  their 
Location  —  Deposition  of  David  Nimham 
Regarding  it — Chieftaincies  of  the  Wap- 
pingers— The  Head  Chieftaincy  Located  in 
Duchess  County — Villages  of  the  Wappin- 
gers —  Dans-Kammer  Point  —  Traditional 
Indian  Villages. 

THE  territory  embraced  within  the  present 
limits  of  Duchess  County  was  the  home 
at  different  periods  of  the  Mahicans,  who  have 
been  styled  the  first  inhabitants  of  Hudson  River,t 
the  Wappingers,  who  originally  lived  west  of  the 
Hudson,  and  subsequently  joined  the  Mahicans, 
and  a  remnant  of  the  Pequots,  the  earliest  victims 

*  History  of  the  Untied  States,  II,  447. 

t  Indian  Tribes  of  HudsofUs  River,  50,  (note.) 

t  Col.  Hist.  IV.,  901. 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


to  the  Europeans,  who  were  nearly  exterminated 
May  26,  1 637,  and  the  remnant  subsequently  driven 
from  their  homes  in  Connecticut.  The  latter  dwelt 
in  the  present  town  of  Dover,  and  are  still  repre- 
sented by  their  descendants  in  the  valley  of  the 
Housatonic,  to  which  they  subsequently  removed. 
Their  sachem  was  Gideon  Mauwee,  whose  grand- 
daughter, Aunt  Eunice  Mauwee,  died  in  i860,  at 
the  age  of  103  years. 

The  Mahicans  were  a  confederacy,*  although  the 
several  nations  composing  it  have  never  been  desig- 
nated, says  Ruttenber,  who  adds  that  certain  gen- 
eral divisions  appear  under  the  titles  of  the  Mahi- 
cans, Soquatucks,  Horicons,  Pennacooks,  Nipmucks, 
Abenaquis,  Nawaas,  Sequins,  and  Wappingers. 
The  former,  the  representative  nation  of  the  con- 
federacy on  the  Hudson,  appears,  he  says,  to  have 
taken  original  position  there,  and  to  have  sent  out 
snbduing  colonies  to  the  south  and  east,  originat- 
ing other  national  combinations.  Their  ancient 
council  fire  was  kindled  at  Schodack,  opposite  the 
city  of  Albany,  the  country  in  the  vicinity  of  which 
they  occupied.  The  Soquatucks  occupied  the 
country  east  of  the  Green  Mountains;  the  Hor- 
icons, the  Lake  George  district ;  the  Pennacooks,t 
the  territory  "  from  Haverhill  to  the  sources  of  the 
Connecticut ;  the  Nipmucks,  the  country  "  about 
Worcester,  Oxford,  Grafton,  Dudley,  &c.,  in  Mas- 
sachusetts j"t  the  Abenaquis,  "the  inland  country 
on  the  upper  part  of  the  Kennebec  River,  in 
Maine  ;"§  the  Nawaas  and  Sequins,  the  country 
bordering  the  Connecticiit,  the  latter  immediately 
south  of  the  former ;  and  the  Wappingers,  the  coun- 
try east  of  the  Hudson  and  immediately  south  of 
the  Mahicans,  extending  from  Roelaff  Jansen's  Kill, 
or  Livingston  Creek,  to  the  sea.  The  first  of  these 
general  divisions  was  again  divided  into  at  least 
five  parts,  as  known  to  the  authorities  of  New  York 
viz :  the  Mahicans,  occupying  the  country  in  the 
vicinity  of  Albany ;  the  Wiekagjocks,  described  by 
Wassenar  as  "next  below  the  Maikens ;"  the 
Mechkentowoons,  lying  above  Catskill  and  on 
Beeren    or    Mahican    Island;    the    Wawyachton- 

*  Bancroft  says,  "the  country  between  the  banks  of  the  Connecticut  and 
the  Hudson  was  possessed  by  independent  villages  of  the  Mohegans,  kin- 
.  dred  with  the  Manhattans,  whose  few  'smokes'  once  rose  amidst  the 
forests  on  New  York  Island.  "—History  of  the  United  States,  II.,  396. 

t " The  Pennacooks,"  says  O'Callaghan,  (Col.  Hisi.N.  Y,  III.,  482,) 
*'  were  a  New  Hampshire  tribe,  and  inhabited  Concord  and  the  Merrimac 
country  above  and  below  that  town."  A  full  account  of  them  will  be  found 
in  Moore's  Annals  of  Concord,  73  ;  and  in  Collections  of  New  Hamp- 
shire Historical  Society,  I,  Z18." 

}  Hol^es^  Annals,  /.,  413. 

%Col.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  III.,  48z,  note,  which  also  says:  "They  were 
called  Onagonques  by  the  Dutch,  Owenagungas  by  the  English,  and 
Abenakis  by  the  French." 


ocks,*  who  apparently  resided  in  the  western 
parts  of  Duchess  and  Columbia  counties ;  and 
the  Westenhucks,  subsequently  known  as  the 
Stockbridges,  who  held  the  capital  of  the  confed- 
eracy, and  occupied  the  village  of  Kaunaumeek, 
where  the  missionary  Brainerd  labored,  and  which 
he  describes  as  "near  twenty  miles  from  Stock- 
bridge  and  near  about  twenty  miles  distant  from 
Albany  eastward  ; "  Potatik,  located  by  the  Mora- 
vians on  the  Housatonic  "  seventy  miles  inland  ;'' 
and  Westenhuck  or  Wuahktakook,  the  capital  of 
the  confederacy,  located  on  Sauthier's  map,  among 
the  hills  south  of  Stockbridge.  The  villages  of  the 
Wawyachtonocks,  says  Ruttenber,  are  without 
designation,  but  it  is  probable  that  Shekomeko, 
about  two  miles  south  of  the  village  of  Pine  Plains, 
and  once  the  seat  of  a  flourishing  Moravian  mis- 
sion, was  classed  as  one  of  them,  as  well  as  Wech- 
quadnach,  also  the  seat  of  a  Moravian  mission, 
described  as  "  twenty-eight  miles  below  Stock- 
bridge."  He  adds,  "  that  their  villages  and  chief- 
tancies  were  even  more  numerous  than  those  of 
the  Montauks  and  Wappingers"  there  is  every 
reason  to  suppose,  but  causes  the  very  opposite  of 
those  which  led  to  the  preservation  of  the  location 
of  the  latter,  permitted  the  former  to  go  down  with 
so  many  unrecorded  facts  relating  to  the  tribe,"! 

The  Wappingers,  or  Wappingis,  were,  Uke  the . 
Mahicans,  with  whom  they  united,  a  branch  of 
the  Delawares,  and  are  supposed  by  Messrs.  Yates 
and  Moulton  %  to  be  identical  with  the  Sanhikans, 
whom  De  Laet  describes  as  residing  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Hudson,  "  within  the  Sandy  Hook,"  § 
and  with  the  Sankikani,  who,  when  the  Dutch 
arrived  at  New  Netherlands  another  Dutch  author,  " 
Joost  Hartger,  who  wrote  in  165 1,  twenty-six  years 
after  De  Laet,  describes  as  residing  "  on  New  York 
Bay,  on  the  Jersey  shore,  opposite  Manhattan's 
Island,  and  thence  some  distance  up  the  river, 
lining  the  shore."  Both  authors  say  they  were 
deadly  enemies  of  the  Manhattans,  occupying  the 
island  to  which  it  is  supposed   they  gave   their 

*  "This  name,"  says  Ruttenber,  "is  local,"  and  is  applied,  in  a  peti- 
tion by  William  Caldwell  and  others  in  1702,  to  a  "  tract  of  unappropriated 
lands  in  ye  hands  of  ye  Indians,  lying  in  Duchess  County  to  ye  westward 
of  Westenholk's  creek,  and  to  ye  eastward  of  Foughkeepsie,  called  by  ye 
Indians  by  ye  name  of  Wayaughtanock." — Indian  Tribes  of  Hudson^ s 
River,  8s,  note. 

^Indian  Tribes  of  HudsoiCs  River,  41.  85-86.  A  tract  of  laud 
called  Westenhook  was  patented  to  Robert  Livingston,  Jr.,  and  others 
in  1735,  and  that  as  well  as  Livingston  Manor,  patented  in  1686,  became 
the  subject  of  controversy  between  this  State  and  Massachuset  ts. — StmiKs 
History  of  New  York,  283-288. 

X  History  oftht  State  of  New  York,  221.  They  strengthen  this  sup- 
position by  quoting  Gov.  Clinton. 

%Nieuwe  Wereldt,  Book  3,  Chaf.  9. 


TERRITORIAL  LOCATION  OF  THE  WAPPINGERS. 


21 


name,*  and  were,  says  Hartger,  a  much  less 
ferocious  and  sanguinary  people.  De  Laet  testifies 
that  they  were  a  better  people  than  the  Manhattans, 
who,  he  says,  were  a  wicked  nation  having  "  always 
conducted  towards  the  Dutch  in  a  cruel  and  inimi- 
cal manner."  O'Callaghan  says  the  Dutch  dis- 
tinguished the  Delawares  by  the  name  of  Sankhi- 
cans.f 

The  Rev.  John  Heckewelder,t  who  says  the 
Sankhicanni  derive  their  name  from  Sankhican, 
who  sigmiiss  fire-works,  adds,  they  and  the  Wabinga 
or  Wapinga,  sprung  from  the  Delawares  and  Min- 
sis,  and,  living  opposite  the  Mahicanni,  on  the 
Hudson,  (the  latter  the  most  southerly,  up  the 
Pachsdjeck — i.e.  a  valley,  Passaic,)  intermarried 
with  them,  till  at  length  their  language  betrayed 
more  of  the  Mahicanni,  than-  the  Delaware.     The 

Wappingis,  occupied  the  highlands  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Hudson,  from  which  they  were  known 
by  the  Y>\A(Ai.z.%Hocklanders,  (Highlanders.)  The 
Sankhicanni  extended  their  settlements  towards 
the  site  of  Albany.  In  course  of  time  these  two 
tribes  were  under  the  necessity  of  leaving  their 
country,  when  they  went  over  to  the  Mahicanni,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  famiUes,  who  again  joined 
the  Delawares,  but  for  fear  of  being  again  driven 
from  their  settlements  by  the  whites,  went  first  to  the 
Susquehanna,  and  subsequently  to  the  Ohio.    The 

Wappingis  says  Heckewelder  derive  their  name 
from  the  opossum,  which  in  the  language  of  the 
Delawares,  is  called  Waping.  Wappingi  signifies 
"  the  opossummani."  § 

Mr.  Charles  ThompscJn,  Secretary  of  the  first 
American  Congress,  locates  the  Wappingers  be- 
tween the  west  branch  of  the  Delaware  and  the 
Hudson,  from  the  Kittatinny  Ridge  (Blue  Mts.) 
down  to  Raritan.  ||  Prof.  Ebeling  observes  that 
the  Esopus  Indians,  who  proved  so  troublesome 

*  Heckewelder,  in  Ms.  Comm.  to  Dr.  Miller,  says  his  inquiries  in  re- 
spect to  a  nation  or  tribe  of  Indians  called  Mankattos  or  Nanathones 
were  fruitless.  They  were  unknown  at  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth 
century  to  both  the  Mahicans  and  Delawares.  He  was  convinced  that 
the  Delawares  and  Minsis  occupied  Manhattan  or  New  York  Island, 
which  the  former  then  called  Manahattani  or  Manahachtanink.  The 
Delaware  word  for  island,  he  says,  is  Mznaiey ;  the  Minsi  word,  Man- 
ttchtey.  Early  writers,  however,  are  emphatic  in  naming  this  tribe,  and 
De  Rasieres,  who  wrote  in  1626,  intimates  that  they  were  conquered  '*  by 
the  Wappenos." 

t  History  of  New  Netherlands  /.,  48. 

X  Ms.  Communication  to  Dr.  Miller  in  1801.  now  in  possession  of  the 
N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc. 

§  Wappingers,  says  Ruttenber,  is  a  corruption  of  ivahun,  east,  and 
ackif  land,  which,  as  applied  by  the  Indians  themselves,  may  be  rendered 
Eastlanders,  or  Men  of  the  East.  The  French  preserved  the  original 
very  nearly  in  Abenague,  and  Heckewelder  in  Wapanachki.  The 
Dutch  historians  are  responsible  for  JVappingerSy  perhaps  from  their 
rendering  of  the  sound  of  the  original  word,  and  perhaps  as  expressing 
the  fact  that  they  were,  in  the  Dutch  language,  wapertt  or  half-armed  In- 
.  dians. — Indian  Tribes  o/HudsoTCs  River,  170 — 371. 

li  Note  5,  Appendix  to  Jefferson's  Notes  on  Virginia. 


to  the  early  Dutch  settlers,  were  supposed  to  be 
Wappingers.*  Ruttenber  says  :  "Although  it  is  so 
stated  on  Van  der  Donck's  map  of  New  Nether- 
land,  and  assumed  by  Gallatin  as  a  fact,  there  is 
no  evidence  that  the  Wappingers  extended  west  of 
the  Hudson,  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  conclusion  is 
certain  that  they  did  not.  The  record  of  the  Esopus 
wars  and  the  sales  of  lands  show  what  and  who  the 
latter  were.  The  error  of  Van  der  Donck's  in- 
formants was  in  confusing  totemic  emblems,  and 
similarity  of  dialect,  with  tribal  jurisdiction."  f 

Whatever  may  be  the  fact  with  reference  to  the 
Wappingers  having  once  possessed  lands  west  of 
the  Hudson,  it  is  certain  that  their  later  settle- 
ments were  on  the  east  side  of  that  river,  as  is 
shown  by  the  following  deposition  of  David  Nim- 
ham,  whose  father,  Daniel  Nimham,  was  made 
chief  sachem  of  the  Wappingers  in  1740,  and  dis- 
tinguished himself  not  less  by  his  persistent  efforts 
to  recover  lands  in  Putnam  county,  of  which  his  tribe 
were  defrauded,  than  by  his  tragic  death  at  the  battle 
of  Cortland  Ridge,  in  Westchester  county,  where  he 
and  some  forty  of  his  followers,  including  his  son, 
were  killed  or  wounded  August  31,  1778,  by  the 
British,  against  whom  they  had  espoused  the  cause 
of  the  Colonists.  I  The  deposition  reads  as  fol- 
lows : — 

"  David  Nimham,  aged  thirty-six  years,  being 
duly  sworn,  maketh  oath,  that  he  is  a  River  Indian 
of  the  tribe  of  the  Wappingers,  which  tribe  were 
the  ancient  inhabitants  of  the  east  shore  of  Hud- 
son's River,  from  the  city  of  New  York  to  about 
the  middle  of  Beekman's  Patent ;  that  another  of 
River  Indians,  called  Mahiccondas,  were  the  an- 
cient inhabitants  of  the  remaining  east  shore  of  the 
said  river;  that  these  two  tribes  constituted  one 
nation.  That  the  deponent  well  understands  the 
language  of  the  Mahiccondas.  It  is  very  Uttle 
different  from  the  language  of  the  Wappings  tribe. 
That  the  Indian  word  Pattenock  signifies  in  the 
language  of  the  Mahiccondas,  a  fall  of  water,  and 
has  no  other  signification.  And  this  deponent 
says  that  he  is  a  Christian,  and  has  resided  some 
years  with  the  Mahiccondas  at  Stockbridge. 

his 

"DAVID  X  NIMHAM. 

mark. 

"  Sworn  the  second  day  of  August,  1762,  before 
me.  WILLIAM  SMITH." 

The  chieftaincies  of  the  Wappingers,  say  Rut- 
tenber,§  were  the  Reckgawawancs^  who  occupied 
Manhattan  Island  and  a  portion  of  the  mainland, 
with  their  principal  village,||   says  Bolton,  at  the 

*  Yates  and  Moiilion' s  History  of  the  State  of  New  York^  221, 

t  Indian  Tribes  of  Hudson  River-,  84. 

X  Sintcoe^s  Military  Jo^irtial. 

%  Indian  'rrihes  0/  Htidson's  River^  77-84. 

II  History  of  Westchester  County. 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


mouth  of   Neperah   (Neperhan  *)   or    Saw   Mill 
Creek,  where  the  village  of  Yonkers  now  stands, 
and  at  whose  strong  stockade  fort,  which  stood  on 
Berrien's  Neck,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Spuyten 
Duyvel  commanding  the  romantic  scenery  of  that 
creek  and  the  Mahicannituck,  Hudson  first  dropped 
anchor  on  his  ascending  voyage,  and  was  attacked 
by  the  Indians  on  his  return  ;  the  Weckquaesgeeks, 
who,   as    early   as    1644,   had   three   entrenched 
castles,t  one  of  which  remained  as  late  1663,  and 
was  then  garrisoned  by   eighty  warriors.      Their 
principal  village,  named  Weckquaskeck,  was  on  the 
site  of  Dobb's  Ferry,  and  its  outlines,  it  is  said, 
can  still   be  traced   by   numerous   shell  beds ;  a 
second  one  called  Alip  Conck,  occupied  the  site 
of  the  village  of  Tarrytown.     Their  territory  seems 
to  have  extended  from  Norwalk  on  the  Sound,  to 
the  Hudson,  and  to  have  embraced  considerable 
portions  of  the  towns  of  Mount  Pleasant,  Greenburgh 
White  Plains  and  Rye,  or,  according  to  O'Calla- 
ghan,  J  from  the  North  to  the  East  River,  "  on  the 
banks  of  two  smaller  streams,  called  the  Sintsinck, 
and  the  Armonck,  a  few  miles  north  of  the  fierce 
Manhattd^  or  Manhattans,- a  '  cruel  nation,'  who 
held  their  council  fires  on  an  extensive  island  im- 
mediately south,  which,  retaining  their  name,  was 
afterwards   called   Manhattans ;"    the   Sint-Sinks, 
who,  apparently,  were  not  numerous,  but  had  two 
villages,  one  Ossing-Sing,  on  the  site  of  the  present 
village  of  Sing  Sing,  the  other,  Kestaubuinck,  located 
between  Sing  Sing  Creek  and  Croton  River ;  the 
Kitchawongs  or  Kickfawancs,  whose  territory  ap- 
pears to  have  extended  from  Croton  River  to  An- 
thony's Nose,  embracing  a  principal  village  named 
Kitchawonck,   located  at  the  mouth  of  the  river 
bearing  their  name ;  another  named  Sackhoes,  on 
the   site  of  the  village  of  Peekskill,  and  a  fort, 
which  stood  at  the  mouth  of  Croton  River,  and  is 
represented  as  one  of  the  most  formidable  and  an- 
cient Indian  fortresses   south  of  the  Highlands; 
the  Tankitekes,  whom  Brodhead  locates  at  Haver- 
straw,  O'Callaghan  on   the  east   side  of  Tappan 
Bay,  and  Bolton,  in  the  eastern  part  of  Westchest- 
er, (the  latter  of  which,  from  the  deeds  given  by 
them,  Ruttenber  affirms  is  correct,)  and  who,  says 
the    latter,   occupy   "  a   prominent '  place  in  the 
Dutch  history  through  the  action  of  Pecham,  '  a 
crafty  man,'  who  not  only  performed  discreditable 
service  for  Director  Kieft,  but  was  also  very  largely 
instrumental  in  bringing  on  the  war  of  1645  ;"  the 
Nochpeems,  who  occupied  the  highlands  north  of 

*F7encKs  Map  of  the  State  of  New  York, 

1  younial  of  New  Netherland,  Doc.  Hist.,  IV.,-IS. 

X  History  of  New  Netherland,  I.,  47. 


Anthony's  Nose,  (where  Wassenar  locates  the 
Pachany,  and  Brodhead  the  Fachimis,  whom — the 
Pachamis — O'Callaghan  locates  on  the  east  side  of 
Tappan  Bay,)  and  to  whom  Van  der  Douck 
assigns  three  villages  on  t\itYi\xA%ox^—Keskistkonck, 
Pasquasheck  and  Nochpeem — but  whose  principal 
village,  says  Ruttenber,  situated  in  what  is  now 
known  as  Canopus  Hollow,  in  the  town  of  Putnam 
Valley,  appears  to  have  been  called  Canopus,  from 
the  name  of  their  sachem;  the  Siwanoys,  also 
known  as  "one  of  the  seven  tribes  of  the  sea 
coast,"  who  were  one  of  the  largest  of  the  Wap- 
pinger  subdivisions,  and  occupied  the  northern 
shore  of  the  sound,  "  from  Norwalk  twenty-four 
miles  to  the  neighborhood  of  Hell-gate;"  the 
Sequins,  who  took  their  name  from  one  of  their 
chiefs,  who  occupied  a  larg^  extent  of  country, 
with  their  principal  seat  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Connecticut,  and  had  jurisdiction  over  all  the 
south-western  Connecticut  clans;  and  the  Wap- 
ptngers,  the  acknowledged  head  of  the  chieftaincies 
of  the  tribal  organization  of  that  name,  whose  ter- 
ritory covered  the  major  portion  of  Duchess 
County.  The  location  of  their  principal  village  is 
not  known,  but  presumably  on  the  creek  which 
perpetuates  their  name,  on  the  south  side  of  which 
— the  Mawenawasigh,  its  beautiful  Indian  name — 
Van  derDonck's  map  locates  three  of  their  villages. 
Others  of  their  villages  were  located  in  the  town  of 
Fishkill,  and  at  Fishkill  Hook.  "  Until  quite  recent- 
ly, there  were  traces  of  their  burial  grounds,  and 
many  apple  and  pear  trees  are  still  left  standing."* 
Here,  on  a  farm  of  three  hundred  acres,  adjoining 
Putnam  County,  which  was  claimed  as  a  reserva- 
tion, the  Indians  lingered  long  after  the  sale  of 
their  lands  in  that  locality;  and  even  after  their 
removal  to  the  West,  a  few  came  occasionally  to 
renew  their  claims,  remaining  a  few  weeks  to  hunt 
and  fish,  while  plying  the  vocation  of  mendicants. 
North  of  Wappinger's  Creek  they  appear  to  have 
been  known  as  the  Indians  of  the  Long  Reach, 
and  on  the  south  as  the  Highland  Indians.  Of 
their  possessions  on  the  Hudson  there  is  but  one 
perfect  transfer  title  on  record,  that  being  for  the 
lands  which  were  included  in  the  Rombout  Patent, 
of  which  further  mention  will  be  made  in  a  subse- 
quent chapter. 

Messrs.  Yates  and  Moulton,  after  referring  to  the 
former  residence  of  the  tribe  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Hudson,  say,  at  a  later  period,  they  "occupied 
that  part  of  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson,  near  a 

*  Historical  Sketch  of  the  Town  qf  Fishkill,  by  T.  Van  Wyck  Brink- 
erhoff,  S'-S2i 


RIVALRY  BETWEEN  THE  DELAWARES  AND  IROQUOIS. 


23 


hill  called  Anthony's  Nose,  in  the  Highlands  which 
embraced  what  was  called  Phillips's  upper  patent 
in  Duchess  County,  including  PoUipel's  Island. 
Although  formerly  numerous,  they  had  in  1767 
dwindled  to  227  persons.  Their  occupation  was 
principally  planting  and  hunting.  The  Highlands 
afforded  fine  hunting  ground,  and  the  surrounding 
soil  was  excellent  for  planting.  *  «  *  jt  ^^^s 
their  fate,  though  a  similar  fate  with  others,  to  be 
compelled  to  abandon  their  once  pleasant  Wickapy, 
(which  was  the  name  of  the  lands  where  the  tribe 
chiefly  resided,)  and  to  seek  refuge  in  remote,  and 
to  them,  strange  places.*  Dunlap,  in  his  History 
of  New  York,  speaks  of  them  as  occupying  the 
Highlands,  called  by  them  Kittatinny  Mountains, 
and  says,  their  principal  settlement,  designated 
Wicapee,  was  situated  in  the  vicinity  of  Anthony's 
Nose.  Brodhead  says :  "  It  would  seem  that  the 
neighboring  Indians  esteemed  the  peltries  of  the 
Fishkillf  as  charmed  by  the  incantations  of  the 
aboriginal  enchanters  who  lived  along  its  banks, 
and  the  beautiful  scenery  in  which  those  ancient 
Priests  of  the  Highlands  dwelt  is  thus  invested  with 
new  poetic  associations." 

Tradition  locates  other  villages  in  various  parts 
of  the  county ;  but  it  is  mostly  vague  and  unsat- 
isfactory, though  there  is  little  doubt  that  many 
more  than  those  indicated  existed  within  the  Hmits 
of  the  county.  Wassenar  locates  the  Pachany, 
Warenecker  and  Warrawannankoruks  at  Fisher's 
Hook,J  a  projection  into  the  river  formed  by  the 
confluence  of  the  Fishkill  in  the  town  of  that  name. 
DeLaet  agrees  substantially  with  him  in  the  location 
of  the  former,  whom  he  calls  the  Pachami ;  but 
.the  latter  two,  named  by  him  Waoranecks  and 
Warranawankongs,  he  locates  on  the  west  side,  on 
the  Dans-Kammer  point,§  in  which  he  is  unques- 
tionably more  nearly  correct.  Van  derDonck  locates 
the  Waoranecks  on  the  south  side  of  Wappingers 
Creek,  while  above  them,  on  both  sides  of  the  river, 
he  places  the  Wappingers.  The  Minnisinks,  a 
*  clan  of  the  Minsis,  are  said  to  have  lived  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  county,  probably  not  as  a  clan, 
however;  while  the  Sepascots  are  credited  to 
Rhinebeck,  and  the  Shenandoahs  to  Red  Hook. 

*  History  of  the  State  of  New  York.,  lii. 

t  The  Indian  name  of  this  stream  was  Matteawan,  by  which  it  is  still 
sometimes  called.  The  word  has  been  said  to  signify  ^ good  fiirs,''''  and 
Moulton  has  endeavored  to  associate  it  with  the  incantations  of  Indian 
priests,  but,  says  Ruttenber,  on  no  positive  authority. 

XDoc.  His.  Ill,  iS, 

§Thisname,  which  means  " dance-chamber, "  was  given  toapointof 
land,  six  miles  north  of  Newburgh,  where  the  aborigines  were  accus- 
tomed to  dance  the  Kuite-Kaye,  a  species  of  devil-worship,  on  the  eve 
of  engaging  in  expeditions  of  war  or  hunting,  and  when,  as  prisoners, 
they  were  about  to  suffer  torture.— />«?.  His.  TV,  6j. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Contemporaneous  Emigration  of  Delawares 
AND  Iroquois  from  the  West — The  Iroquois 
Become  Jealous  of  the  Delawares  and 
Clandestinely  Seek  their  Humiliation  — 
Wars  Between  the  Delawares  and  Iroquois 
— The  Iroquois  Make  Women  of  the  Dela- 
wares— The  Significance  of  this  Act — Dif- 
fering Views  Respecting  the  Subjugation  of 
THE  Delawares  by  the  Iroquois — The  Dela- 
wares Resent  the  Perfidy  of  the  Iroquois 
— Wars  Between  the  Iroquois  and  Mahi- 
CANs  —  The  Mahicans  Unsubdued  —  Their 
Subjugation  Asserted  by  Various  Histori- 
ans— Their  Statements  Refuted  by  Docu- 
mentary Troof — Traditional  Reverses  of 
the  Mahicans — Their  Losses  and  Dispersion 
— War  of  1755 — Relation  of  the  Delawares 
AND  Mahicans  to  It  —  The  Delawares  in 
the  Revolutionary  War. 

IN  a  preceding  chapter  we  have  shown  that  the 
Iroquois  and  Delawares,  according  to  tradi- 
tion, emigrated  at  the  same  time  from  the  west- 
ward ;  and,  having  defeated  and  dispersed  the  Al- 
ligewi,  who  disputed  with  them  the  passage  of  the 
Mississippi,  that  they  divided  and  occupied  the 
conquered  territory.  The  Iroquois,  increasing  in 
numbers,  extended  their  settlements  below  the 
lakes  along  the  St.  Lawrence,  from  which,  tradi- 
tion asserts,  they  were  driven  by  the  Adirondacks, 
to  the  interior  parts  of  New  York.*  The  Dela- 
wares had  also  moved  farther  eastward,  and,  with 
their  kindred  tribes,  occupied  the  valleys  of  the 
Delaware,  Susquehanna  and  Hudson. 

In  these  relative  positions  they  resided  peace- 
ably for  many  years.  At  length  the  Iroquois  be- 
came jealous  and  distrustful  of  their  southern 
neighbors,  who  were  rapidly  increasing  in  numbers, 
and  sought  to  lessen  their  growing  power  by  em- 
broiling them  and  other  tribes,  especially  the  Chero- 
kees,  who  then  lived  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio  and 
its  branches,  and  between  whom  and  the  Dela- 
wares a  most  bloody  war  was  waged,  as  the  result 
of  this  Iroquois  perfidy,  until  the  treachery  of  the 
latter  was  discovered.  The  Delawares  determined 
to  revenge  themselves  by  the  extirpation  of  that 
deceitful  race  ;t  and-so  successful  were  they  in  the 
violent  wars  which  ensued  between  them  and  the 
Iroquois,J  that  the  latter,  who   at  a  later   period, 

*  Smithes  History  of  New  York,  77. 

\ Heckewelder' s  Historical  Account  of  the  Indian  Nations,  37, 
X  LoskieVs  History  of  the  Mission  of  the  United  Brethren  among  the 
Indians  in  North  America,  Part  I,  Chap.  X,p.  IZ4.  Heckewelder,  38. 


24 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


had  also  become  involved  with  the  French  colon- 
ists in  Canada,  were  constrained  to  resort  to  a 
stratagem  to  terminate  them,  being  convinced  that 
if  they  continued,  "  their  total  extirpation  would  be 
inevitable."*  Heckewelder  even  attributes  to  the 
severity  of  these  wars  that  great  Amphyctonic 
league — the  Iroquois  confederacy — which,  he  says, 
on  the  authority  of  Pyrlseus,  a  missionary  among 
the  Mohawks,  was  formed  "  sometime  between  the 
fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries'' ;  and  adds  that 
the  different  tribes  of  the  Iroquois  had  hitherto 
acted  independently.f 

The  plan  of  the  Iroquois  was  to  allay  the  enmity 
of  the  Delawares,  their  "most  formidable  oppo- 
nents,"t  by  urging  them  to  assume  the  office  of 
women,  and  act  as  mediators  and  ujppires  among 
their  warlike  neighbors,  so  that  they  might  devote 
their  entire  energies  to  their  northern  enemies,  the 
French  ;  for  the  wars  between  these  savage  nations 
were  never  terminated,  except  through  the  ihter- 
position  of  the  women,  whose  prerogative  it  was 
to  demand  a  cessation  of  hostilities.  The  men, 
however  tired  of  fighting,  maintained  a  determined 
hostile  attitude;  for  they  considered  it  an  evidence 
of  cowardice  to  intimate  a  desire  for  peace,  and 
unbecoming  for  a  warrior  with  a  bloody  weapon  in 
his  hand  to  address  pacific  language  to  his  enemy.  § 
They  therefore  sent  the  following  message  ||  to  the 
Delawares : — ■ 

"  It  is  not  profitable  that  all  nations  should  be 
at  war  with  each  other,  for  this  will  at  length  be 
the  ruin  of  the  whole  Indian  race.  We  have  there- 
fore considered  of  a  remedy,  by  which  this  evil 
may  be  prevented.  One  nation  shall  be  the 
woman.  We  will  place  her  in  the  midst,  and  the 
other  nations  who  make  war  shall  be  the  man, 
and  live  around  the  woman,  no  one  shall  touch 
or  hurt  the  woman,  and  if  any  one  does  it,  we 
will  immediately  say  to  him,  '  Why  do  you  beat  the 
woman  ? '  Then  all  the  men  shall  fall  upon  him 
who  has  beaten  her.  The  woman  shall  not  go  to 
war,  but  endeavor  to  keep  peace  with  all.  There- 
fore if  the  men  that  surround  her  beat  each 
other,  and  the  war  be  carried  on  with  violence, 
the  woman  shall  have  the  right  of  addressing  them, 
'  Ye  men,  what  are  ye  about,  why  do  ye  beat  each 
other?  We  are  almost  afraid.  Consider  that 
your  wives  and  children  must  perish,  unless  ye 
desist.  Do  ye  mean  to  destroy  yourselves  from 
the  face  of  the  earth  ? '  The  men  shall  then  hear 
and  obey  the  woman." 

To  appeal   to  the  magnanimity  of  the   Dela- 
wares and  entreat  them  to  accept  such  an  office  was 

*Laskiel,  Part  /,  Chaf.  X  f.  IZ4.   - 

^  He9hewelder,  37-38. 

X  MarryaVs  Diary  in  America,  261. 

§  Heckewelder,  39. 

liLoskiel.  Part  I;  Cha^.  X,  144-125. 


to  pay  a  high  tribute  to  their  character  for  probity 
and  valor ;  for  it  would  have  been  folly  for  a  weak 
or  vacillating  nation  to  have  undertaken  such  a 
task.  It  implied  that,  since  "as  men  they  had 
been  dreaded ;  as  women  they  would  be  respected 
and  honored."  Unhappily  for  them  they  yielded 
to  the  flattering  proposition,  not  suspecting  the 
meditated  treachery  of  the  Iroquois,  who  desired 
as  well  to  deprive  them  of  their  power  and  mili- 
tary fame,  "which  had  exalted  them  above  all  the 
other  Indian  nations."  *  They  believed  their 
object  to  be  the  preservation  of  the  Indian  race. 

The  Iroquois,  rejoiced  at  the  assent  of  the  un- 
wary Delawares,  appointed  a  great  feast,  and 
solemnly  inducted  the  latter  into  their  new  and 
novel  office  of  women.  Addressing  the  Delawares, 
they  said :  "  We  dress  you  in  a  woman's  long 
habit,  reaching  down  to  your  feet,  and  adorn  you 
with  ear-rings,"  meaning,  that  they  should  no  more 
take  up  arms ;  "  We  hang  a  calabash  filled  with 
oil  and  medicines  upon  your  arm.  With  the  oil 
you  shall  cleanse  the  ears  of  the  other  nations,  that 
they  may  attend  to  good,  and  not  to  bad  words ; 
and  with  the  medicine  you  shall  heal  those  who  are 
walking  in  foolish  ways,  that  they  may  return  to 
their  senses,  and  incline  their  hearts  to  peace ;  we 
deUver  into  your  hands  a  plant  of  Indian  corn  and 
an  hoe,"  by  which  they  were  exhorted  to  make 
agriculture  their  future  employment  and  means  of 
subsistence.  "Ever  since  this  singular  treaty  of 
peace,"  adds  Loskiel,  "  the  Iroquois  have  called 
the  Delawares  their  cousins"\  Elsewhere  they  are 
called  children  of  the  Five  Nations; J  while  they 
themselves  call  the  Six  Nations  their  uncles,§  a 
term  which  they  also  apply  to  the  Senecas.  ||  The 
Mahicans,  the  Iroquois  called  their  nephews. 

This  treaty,  which  also  comprised  in  its  provis- 
ions the  Mahicans  and  other  conneetions  of  the 
Delawares,  is  supposed,  from  the  traditions  of  the 
Delawg,res,  Mahicans  and  Iroquois,  to  have  been 
consummated  at  a  place  since  called  Norman's 
Kill,  a  few  miles  from  the  site  of  the  city  of  1 
Albany,  "between  the  years  1609  and  i62o,"1[ 
and  was  participated  in  by  the  Dutch,  who  united 
their  influence  with  that  of  the  Iroquois  to  induce 
the  Delawares,  Mahicans  and  their  connections  to 
bury  the  hatchet,  and  declared  that  they  "  would 
fall  on  those  who  should  dig  it  up  again."  The 
Dutch  also  declared  their  intetition  to  "forthwith 

*  Heckewelder,  39,  41. 

'i  Loskiel,  Part  /.,  Chap.  X.,  115^126. 

XCcl.Hisi.  VI.,<)%%. 

%  Col.  Hist.  VJI.,  104. 

II  Col.  Hist.  VII.,  lia. 

\  Heckewelder,  12. 


THE  IROQUOIS  MAKE   "WOMEN"  OF  THE  DELAWARES. 


25 


erect  a  church  over  the  weapon  of  war,  so  that  it 
could  no  more  be  exhumed  without  overturning 
the  sacred  edifice,  and  whoever  dared  do  that 
should  incur  the  resentment  of  the  white  men."* 
The  date  of  this  treaty  is  definitely  fixed  in  the 
copy  of  a  proposition  made  by  the  River  Indians 
to  Lt.  Gov.  Nanfan,  at  Albany,  July  18,  1701,  in 
which  it  is  explicitly  stated  that  "  Itt  is  now  ninety 
years  agoe  since  the  Christians  came  first  here, 
when  there  was  a  covenant  chain  made  between 
them  and  the  Mahikanders,  the  first  inhabitants  of 
this  River" — the  Hudson.  It  is  further  stated; 
"Wee  have  been  soe  happy  never  to  have 
had  the  least  flaw  or  crack  in  the  chain 
*  *  *  wherein  the  Maquase  [Mohawks]  and 
wee  are  hnked."  f  From  this  it  appears  that 
the  date  was  16 ii.  "By  this  treaty,"  says  Moul- 
ton,  "the  Dutch  secured  for  themselves  the  quiet 
possession  of  the  Indian  trade,  and  the  Five 
Nations  obtained  the  means  to  assert  that  ascend- 
ency which  they  ever  after  maintained  over  the 
other  native  tribes,  and  to  inspire  terror  far  and  near 
among  the  other  savages  of  North  America." 

Whatever  may  be  the  credence  to  which  these 
traditions  are  entitled,  certain  it  is  that  the  relative 
positions  of  the  Delawares  and  Iroquois,  as  to 
their  military  status,  was  reversed,!  and  the  former 
were  subsequently  looked  to  for  the  preservation 
of  peace,  ''  and  entrusted  with  the  charge  of  the 
great  belt  of  peace  and  chain  of  friendship."§ 

The  Iroquois  asserted,  and  sought  sedulously  to 
impress  upon  the  mind  of  others,  that  the  Dela- 
wares and  their  kindred  tribes  were  fairly  con- 
quered by  them,  and  compelled  by  force  to  submit 
to  the  humiUation  of  being  made  women  to  avoid 
utter  ruin.ll  Authors  have  very  generally  assumed 
this  to  be  the  fact ;  but  a  few,  notably  Heckewelder 
and  Ruttenber,-  have  earnestly  striven  to  refute  what 
they  beUeve,  and  justly,  to  be  an  error.  "  It  is  a 
singular  fact,  too,"  says  the  latter,  "  that  of  all  the 
nations  subjugated  by  the  Iroquois,  the  Lenape 
alone  bore  the  name  of  women.  While  the  council- 
fires  of  other  nations  were  'put  out,'  and  their 
survivors  merged  in  the  confederacy,  that  of  the 
Lenape  was  kept  burning,  and  their  civil  govern- 
ment remained  undisturbed."!!  Says  Heckewelder, 
"Neither  Mr.  Pyrlaeus  nor  Mr.  Zeisberger,  who 
both  lived  among  the  Five  Nations,  and  spoke  and 
understood  their  language  well,  could  obtain  from 

*  Annals  0/ Albany,  1.1  M^    Heckewelder,  43, 

+  Col  Hist.  /K,  901,  90J. 

t  jfmmal  0/  New  Netherland,  Doc.  Hist.  IV.,  8. 

§  Loskiel,  Part  I.,  Chaf.  X.,  p.  Ii6. 

1  Loskiel,  Part  /.,  Chap.  X.,  p.  146-117. 

\  Indian  Triies  0/  Hudson' s  River,  66. 


them  any  details  relative  to  this  supposed  con- 
quest;" and,  he  adds,  "If  this  were  true,  the 
Lenape  and  their  allies,  who,  like  all  other  Indian 
nations,  never  considered  a  treaty  binding  when 
entered  into  under  any  kind  of  compulsion,  would 
not  have  submitted  to  this  any  longer  than  until 
they  could  again  have  raUied  their  forces  and  fallen 
upon  their  enemy;  they  would  have  done  long  be- 
fore the  year  1755,  what  they  did  at  last  at  that 
time,  joined  the  French  in  their  wars  against  the 
Iroquois  and  English,  and  would  not  have  patiently 
waited  more  than  a  century  before  they  took  their 
revenge  for  so  flagrant  an  outrage."* 

The  Delawares  discovered  and  resented  the  base 
treachery  of  the  Iroquois.  They  "  determined  to 
unite  their  forces  and  by  one  great  eflfort  to  destroy 
entirely  that  perfidious  nation,"  which,  they  said, 
they  might  easily  have  done,  "as  they  were  then  as 
numerous  as  the  grasshoppers  at  particular  seasons, 
and  as  destructive  to  their  enemies  as  these  insects 
are  to  the  fruits  of  the  earth ;"  while  they  described 
the  Iroquois  "  as  a  number  of  croaking  frogs  in  a 
pond,  which  make  a  great  noise  when  all  is  quiet, 
but  at  the  first  approach  of  danger,  nay,  at  the  very 
rustling  of  a  leaf,  immediately  plunge  into  the 
water  and  are  silent."  But  the  rapid  increase  and 
encroachments  of  the  white  settlers  "  engaged  all 
the  capacity  of  their  minds,"  and  diverted  their 
attention  from  this  purpose,  f 

The  force  of  Iroquois  opposition,  it  would  appear, 
weighed  most  heavily  against  the  New  England  and 
River  Indians,  the  former  of  whom,  and  certain  of 
the  latter,  especially  the  Minsis,  were  brought  under 
tributary  subjection  to  them.  Fierce  and  san- 
guinary conflicts  prevailed  between  the  Iroquois, 
especially  the  Mohawks,  and  the  Mahicans,  who 
were  their  "most  formidable  competitors,"  and 
were  not  terminated  when  the  English  superseded 
the  Dutch,  nor  until  the  close  of  the  war  which 
terminated  in  1673,  when  the  English,  who  were  in 
alliance  with  both,  effected  a  permanent  settlement. 
Being  "equal  in  courage,  equal  in  numbers,  equal 
in  the  advantages  of  obtaining  fire-arms  from  the 
Dutch,  and  in  their  subsequent  alliance  with  the 
EngUsh,  they  marched  unsubdued  by  the  boasted 
conquerors  of  America."! 

Judge  William  Smith,  an  early  historian,  says : 
"When  the  Dutch  began  the  settlement  of  this 
country,  all  the  Indians  on  Long  Island,  and  the 
northern  shore  of  the  sound,  on  the  banks  of  Con- 
necticut, Hudson's,   Delaware  and  Susquehanna 

*  Heckewelder^  44-45- 

t  Heckewelder,  48. 

X  Indian  Tribes  of  Hudsof^s  River,  56. 


26 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


rivers,  were  in  subjection  to  the  Five  Nations;  and 
within  the  memory  of  persons  now  living,  acknowl- 
edged it  by  the  payment  of  an  annual  tribute." 
Colden,  speaking  of  the  Mohawks,  says :  "All  the 
nations  round  them  have, for  many  years,  entirely 
submitted  to  them,  and  pay  a  yearly  tribute  to 
them  in  wampum ;"  though  elsewhere  the  latter 
inconsistently  admits  that  the  contest  between  the 
Mohawks  and  Mahicans  was  not  at  an  end  till 
1673,*  when  it  was  effected  through  the  mediation 
of  the  English,  but  without  the  subjugation  of  the 
Mahicans.  O'Callaghan  reiterates  the  statement  of 
Colden.f  Bancroft  says:  "Like  the  benevolent 
William  Penn,  .the  Delawares  were  pledged  to  a 
system  of  peace ;  but,  while  Penn  forbore  retaUa- 
tion  voluntarily,  the  passiveness  of  the  Delawares 
was  the  degrading  confession  of  their  defeat  and 
submission  to  the  Five  Nations.  Their  conquer- 
ors had  stripped  them  of  their  rights  as  warriors, 
and  compelled  thetn  to  endure  taunts  as  women.''^ 

But  these  statements  would  seem  to  be  too  broad 
and  indefinite,  and  certainly  incorrect  with  respect 
to  the  Mahicans,  or  Manhingans,  who,  the  Hela- 
tions  of  the  Jesuit  missionaries'  show,  were  at  war 
with  the  Mohawks  in  1656,  who  experienced  a 
severe  check  in  an  attack  upon  a  fortified  Mahican 
village  in  1663.  In  1664,  the  Mahicans  were  al- 
lied with  four  other  Indian  nations,  including  the 
Wappingers,  in  an  attack  upon  the  Mohawks,  §  who 
were  so  weakened  and  their  pride  humbled,  that, 
in  1699,  they  sent  an  embassy  to  Quebec  to  solicit 
the  French  to  protect  them  against  the  Mahicans. 
In  this  the  Mohawks  were  successful  to  the  extent 
of  securing  the  co-operation  of  the  Jesuit  mission- 
aries in  resisting  an  attack  made  by  three  hundred 
Mahicans  on  the  fortified  village  of  Cahnawaga,  on 
the  1 8th  of  August,  1669.  The  Mahicans  were 
repulsed  and  retired  after  two  hours  of  fighting,  but 
were  intercepted  by  the  Mohawks,  who  descended 
the  river  in  canoes  and  formed  in  ambush  between 
the  village  of  Cahnawaga  and  Schenectady.  The 
Mohawks,  though  at  first  successful  in  the  conflict 
which  ensued,  were  eventually  put  to  flight.||  They 
then  called  to  their  aid  the  Oneidas,  Onondagas 
and  Cayugas,  and  with  four  hundred  warriors  set 
out  to  surprise  a  Mahican  fort  near  Manhattan. 
But  in  this  enterprise  they  were  equally  unsuccess- 
ful. In  April,  1670,  Governo;  Lovelace  visited 
Albany,  charged,  among  other  things,  with  the 

*  Colden^s  Six  Nations^  11.^  35. 
i  History  0/  the  New  Netherlands  /.,  47. 
tffStaryo/the  United  States,  II..,  396. 

§  Doc.  Hist.  IV.,  8j-8s.    History  of  New  Neiherland  IJ,  519. 
I  Co/.  Hist.  Ill,  ISO.    Drake's  Biography  and  History  0/ the  In- 
dians of  North  America. 


duty  of  making  peace  between  the  Mohawks  and 
Mahicans,  but  not  until  August  of  the  succeeding 
year  were  the  negotiations  consummated,  and,  ac- 
cording to  Colden,  not  until  1673.*  Subsequent 
to  this  event  the  Mahicans  were  uniformly  em- 
ployed as  auxiliaries  of  the  Iroquois  and  English 
in  their  wars  with  the  French. 

At  an  earlier  period  it  will  appear  that  the  Ma- 
hicans were  less  successful  in  their  encounters  with 
the  Mohawks.  Michaeluis  says  that  in  1626,  the 
Mahicans  fled  before  the  Mohawks  and  left  their 
lands,t  referring,  doubtless,  to  a  clan  or  chief- 
taincy, which,  as  we  have  previously  shown,  occu- 
pied a  tract  of  country  on  the  west  side  of  the  Hud- 
son, in  its  upper  course.  Wassenar  mentions  a 
similar  reverse  which  occurred  in  1628.J  That 
this  exodus  did  not  apply  to  the  Mahicans  as  a 
nation  is  proved  by  subsequent  deeds.  As  evi- 
dence of  the  sanguinary  conflicts  between  these 
two  nations  and  the  reverses  sustained  by  the  Ma- 
hicans, tradition  points  to  localities  on  Wanton 
Island,  near  Catskill  and  in  the  town  of  Red  Hook 
in  this  county,  "  the  bones  of  the  slain  at  the  lat- 
ter place,"  says  Ruttenber,  "  being,  it  is  said,  in 
monumental  record  when  the  Dutch  first  settled 
there."§ 

The  Mahicans  or  River  Indians  were  strength- 
ened by  the  disasters  which  befel  King  Philip's 
army  in  New  England;  for  after  the  disastrous 
battle  of  August  12, 1676,  in  which  the  great  leader 
lost  his  life,  the  shattered  remnant  of  his  army, 
though  pursued  and  attacked  by  the  English  near 
the  Housatonic,  found  refuge  in  the  friendly  vil- 
lages of  their  kindred  along  the  Hudson.  But  they 
melted  away  in  their  subsequent  wars  as  the  faith- " 
ful  and  efficient  allies  of  the  English,  losing  between 
the  years  1689,  (when  they  numbered  250  warriors,) 
and  i6g8,  not  less  than  i6o.||  Others  were  seduced 
from  their  allegiance  by  the  Jesuit  missionaries  and 
joined<»the  "praying  Indians"  in  Canada.  At  a 
conference  held  with  Lieut.  Governor  Nanfan,  July 
18,  1701,  a  Mahican  speaker  stated  their  number 
to  be  200  fighting  men,  belonging  to  the  county  of 
Albany,  which  then  embraced  the  entire  country 
west  of  the  Connecticut  and  north  of  Roelaff  Jan- 
sen's  Kill,  on  the  east  of  the  Hudson,  and  north 
of  the  Catskill  Mountains,  on  the  west  side.U 
Many  were  carried  off  by  that  dread  scourge,  the 
small-pox,   while   great   numbers  died  in   conse- 

*  Colden' s  Six  Nations,  Chap.  II,  34, 

t  Col.  Hist.,  II,  371,  769. 

t  Doc.  Hist.,  Ill,  48. 

§  Indian  Tribes  0/ Hudson's  River,  57-58. 

II  Col.  Hist.  IV,  337. 

IT  Col.  Hist.  IV,  902. 


THE  DELAWARES  IN  THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR. 


27 


quence  of  the  introduction  of  spirituous  liquors 
among  them.  The  remainder  removed  in  separate 
bodies  to  different  parts  and  mingled  with  other 
nations.  A  considerable  number  migrated  from 
the  Hudson  River  in  1734,  and  settled  at  Stock- 
bridge,  Massachusetts,  where  in  October  of  that 
year,  Rev.  John'  Sergeant  established  among  them 
a  mission,  under  the  auspices  of  the  society  for  the 
propagation  of  the  gospel  in  foreign  parts..  Be- 
tween 1785  and  1787,  with  diminished  numbers, 
they  removed  to  the  country  of  the  Oneidas,  a 
nation  of  the  Iroquois,  and  located  in  the  town 
which  still  perpetuates  their  name — Stockbridge — 
in  the  present  county  of  Madison,  where  they 
were  soon  after  gathered  into  a  church  under 
the  missionary  labors  of  Rev.  John  Sergeant,  who 
followed  them  to  New  Stockbridge  in  1796,  and 
continued  to  reside  with  them  till  his  death,  Sept. 
7,  1824.  They  subsequently  removed  to  lands 
purchased,  in  company  with  the  Iroquois,  St.  Regis 
and  Minsi  Indians,  on  Green  Bay,  and  the  Winne- 
bago and  Fox  Rivers  in  Wisconsin,  where  they 
have  made  considerable  advances  in  civilization 
and  are  generally  sober  and  industrious.  Upwards 
of  one  hundred  of  them,  who  lived  in  the  colonies 
of  New  York  and  Connecticut,  having,  through  the 
labors  of  the  United  Brethren,  embraced  Chris- 
tianity, emigrated  to  Pennsylvania  between  1742 
and  1760,  and  there  afterwards  became  incorporated 
with  the  Delawares. 

As  early  as  1762,  a  number  had  emigrated  to 
the  Ohio  J  and  in  Connecticut,  where  they  were 
once  numerous,  there  were,  in  1799,  in  the  county 
of  New  London,  still  eighty-four  individuals  of 
them,  the  remains  of  a  once  laige  and  flourishing 
settlement. 

The  war  of  1755  between  the  English  and 
the  French,  which  was  but  the'legitimate  fruit  of 
the  imperfect  treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  concluded 
April  30,  1748,  witnessed  a  new  alUance  of  the 
Mahicans  and  their  kindred  tribes,  and  the  active 
alliance  of  the  Delawares  and  neighboring  tribes 
with  the  French,  whose  early  and  sweeping  suc- 
cesses allied  to  their  interests  the  western  Indians 
generally,  and  caused  the  Iroquois,  then,  thraugh 
the  assiduous  labors  of  the  Jesuit  priests,  about 
equally  divided  in  their  numerical  representation 
in  New  York  and  Canada,  to  falter  in  their  fealty 
to  the  EngUsh  Crown,  and  increased  the  division 
in  their  ranks  as  the  war  progressed,  with  results 
altogether  favoring  French  interests. 

The  war,  which  for  many  years  threatened  dis- 
aster to  the  EngUsh,  finally  resulted  in  their  favor, 


and  left  them  in  possession  of  Canada  and  the 
territory  east  of  the  Mississippi. 

At  the  Revolution  the  Delawares,  who,  at  the 
close  of  the  war  in  1763,  numbered  600  warriors,* 
were  divided;  those  Uving  upon  the  Ohio,  to 
which  they  removed  in  the  early  part  of  the  eight- 
eenth century,  and  the  most  numerous  i)ortion, 
were  "dragged"  into  the  war,  by  which  their 
numbers  were  reduced,  and  "they  lost  the  desire 
of  becoming  a  civilized  people ;  "'\  while  the  tribes 
east  of  the  AUeghanies,  including  the  Mahicans  or 
River  Indians,  became  the  efficient  allies  of  the 
colonists,  though  the  number  of  the  latter  must 
have  been  inconsiderable.  In  1774,  Governor 
Tryon  thus  refers  to  them : — 

"  The  river  tribes  have  become  so  scattered  and 
so  addicted  to  wandering,  that  no  certain  account 
of  their  numbers  can  be  obtained.  These  tribes — 
the  Montauks  and  others  of  Long  Island,  Wap- 
pingers  of  Dutchess  county,  and  the  Esopus,  Papa- 
goncks,  etc.,  of  Ulster  county — ^have  generally 
been  denominated  River  Indians  and  consist  of 
about  three  hundred  fighting  men.  Most  of  these 
people  at  present  profess  Christianity,  and  as  far 
as  in  their  power  adopt  our  customs.  The  greater 
part  of  them  attended  the  army  during  the  late 
war,  but  not  with  the  same  reputation  as  those 
who  are  still  deemed  hunters."J 

In  April,  1774,  the  Provincial  Congress  of 
Massachusetts  apprised  the  Mahicans  and  Wap- 
pingers  at  Westenhuck  of  the  gathering  tempest, 
and  expressed  a  desire  to  cultivate  a  good  under- 
standing with  them.  "  Capt.  Solomon  Ahhannuau- 
waumut,  chief  sachem  of  the  Moheakounuck  In- 
dians," to  whom  the  message  was  addressed,  visited 
Boston  on  the  eleventh  of  that  month,  and  his 
reply  on  that  occasion  sufficiently  evinces  the 
warmth  of  their  attachment  to  the  colonists. 
Among  other  things  he  said :  "  Whenever  I  see 
your  blood  running,  you  will  soon  find  me  about 
to  revenge  my  brother's  blood.  Although  I  am 
low  and  very  small,  I  will  gripe  hold  of  your  enemy's 
heel,  .that  he  cannot  run  so  fast,  and  so  light,  as  if 
he  had  nothing  at  his  heels.  *  *  *  'Wg  are 
ready  to  do  anything  for  your  reUef."  After  his 
return  from  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  in  which  he 
and  his  warriors  participated,  at  a  council  at 
Albany,  he  renewed  this  pledge  in  language  most 
eloquent.  "  Depend  upon  it,"  he  said  "  we  are  true 
to  you,  and  mean  to  join  you.  Wherever  you  go, 
we  will  be  by  your  sides.  Our  bones  shall  he  with 
yours.  We  are  determined  never  to  be  at  peace 
with  the  red  coats,  while  they  are  at  variance  with 
•Co/.  Nisi.  y/i.,s»3-  — — — 

t  Heckewelder,  67,  68. 
XCol.Hist.  VlII.,  4Si. 


2S 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


you.  We  have  one  favor  to  beg.  We  should  be 
glad  if  you  would  help  us  to  establish  a  minister 
amongst  us,  that  when  our  men  are  gone  to  war, 
our  women  and  children  may  have  the  advantage 
of  being  instructed  by  him.  If  we  are  conquered, 
our  lands  go  with  yours ;  but  if  you  are  victorious, 
we  hope  you  will  help  us  to  recover  our  just 
rightsv"*  Wherever  the  influence  of  the  Mahicans 
could  reach,  it  was  exerted  among  their  brethren 
of  the  west.  Their  valor  and  devotion  was  dis- 
played on  the  field  of  White  Plains,  Oct.  28,  1776 ; 
and  at  Cortland's  Ridge,  in  Westchester  county, 
August  31,  i778.t 

Not  a  representative  of  this  once  numerous 
aboriginal  race  remains  in  the  county ;  and  scarcely 
a  vestige  of  their  former  occupancy  survives  the 
obliterating  agencies  of  the  century  since  their 
departure. 


CHAPTER  V. 


The  Moravians — Moravian  Mission  at  Sheko- 
MEKo — Christian  Henry  Rauch  Establishes 
THE  First  Successful  Moravian  Mission  in 
North  America  at  Shekomeko — Joined  by 
Buettner  —  Joseph  Shaw  sent  to  Sheko- 
meko AS  School  Master  —  The  Mission- 
aries, Pyrl^us,  Senseman  and  Post  join  the 
Mission — Communion  First  Administered  at 
Shekomeko — New  Chapel  at  Shekomeko — 
Mission  at  Pachgatgoch  Broken  Up — Diffi- 
culties AT  Shekomeko — Efforts  to  Break 
Up  the  Mission — Persecutions  of  the  Mis- 
sionaries and  their  Indian  Converts — 
Death  of  Buettner — Indians  Driven  from 
Shekomeko  and  Wechquadnach — Interest 
in  Shekomeko  and  Wechquadnach  Revived 
after  the  Lapse  of  a  Century — Their  Sites 
Identified  —  Monuments  Erected  Thereon 
to  the  Memory  of  the  Missionaries  Buett- 
ner, Bruce  and  Powell  —  Description  of 
the  Monuments. 

HAVING  examined  cursorily  the  character 
of  the  aborigines  of  this  section  of  country, 
we  are  prepared  in  a  measure  to  estimate  the 
qualities  of  those  who  undertook  the  evangelization 
and  the  difficulties  with  which  they  had  to  contend. 

*  This  has  reference  to  several  tracts  of  land  claimed  by  the  Mahicans, 
the  principal  of  which  was  a  portion  of  the  Livingston  Patent,  and  lands 
at  Westenhuck,  the  latter  of  which  they  claimed  to  have  leased  to  the 
whites  for  a  term  of  years.  The  matter  has  several  times  been  before  the 
New  York  Legislature,  but,  like  the  claim  of  the  Wappingers,  has  never 
been  adjusted. 

t  Indian  Tribes  of  Hudson's  River,  »69-z87. 


This  task,  so  far  as  this  county  is  concerned,  was 
confined  to  the  Moravians,  whose  heroism,  devo- 
tion and  self-sacrifice  find  their  parallel  only  in  the 
zeal  of  the  Jesuits,  of  whom  Parkman  says,  "  No 
rehgious  order  has  ever  united  in  itself  so  much  to 
be  admired  and  so  much  to  be  detested."  Each 
alike  were  men  of  culture  and  intelligence,  who  for- 
sook homes  of  luxury  in  Europe,  and  submitted 
with  a  wonderful  patience  and  heroism  to  the  most 
menial  offices,  the  utmost  hardships  and  privations, 
and  cheerfully  accepted  missions  attended  with  the 
most  inconceivable  danger  in  the  zealous  pursuit 
of  their  calling. 

The  Moravians,  a  name  "  redolent  with  Christian 
faith  and  hope" — were  then  just  emerging  to  promi- 
nence from  under  the  cloud  of  religious  conten- 
tion and  persecution  which,  for  centuries,  had 
tinged  their  history  with  a  melancholy  interest; 
and  they  entered  upon  their  arduous  and  self-ap- 
pointed labors  with  the  vigor  of  resuscitated  man- 
hood succeeding  protracted  and  enfeebled  infancy. 
But,  says  the  Moravian  historian,  Reichel,  it  was 
under  peculiar  difficulties  that  they  commenced 
their  labors  among  the  nomads  of  this  western 
world.  Entering  upon  them  at  a  time  when  the 
contending  civilizations  of  Europe  on  this  con- 
tinent, which,  for  nearly  a  century  and  a  half  had 
a  doubtful  issue,  were  approaching  a  determinate 
issue,  and  just  upon  the  eve  of  those  difficulties 
which  culminated  in  the  French  and  Indian  war, 
they  became  an  object  of  two-fold  suspicion.  They 
stood  between  the  Indian  and  the  aggressive  An- 
glo-Saxon, but  were  friends  of  both. 

They  adopted  as  peculiarly  their  own  the  mission 
of  converting  the  heathen  in  fields  which  others 
had  not  attempted  to  cultivate.  In  1732,  the  first 
missionaries  of  the  society  were  sent  to  the  Island 
of  St.  Thomas  in  the  West  Indies,  *hen  and  still 
under  the  Danish  government;  and  in  1733,  a 
successful  mission  was  established  on  the  inhospi- 
table coast  of  Greenland.  In  1734,  a  number  of 
brethren  living  in  Berthelsdorf,  in  Upper  Lusatia, 
under  the  protectorate  of  Count  Nicolas  Lewis 
von  Zinzendorf,  a  son  of  one  of  the  prime  min- 
isters at  the  Court  of  Saxony,  resolved  to  go  to 
Georgia;  but  on  arriving  at  Holland,  changed 
their  minds  and  removed  to  Pennsylvania,  estab- 
lishing the  Moravian  colony  at  Bethlehem  in  that 
State,  which  became  the  headquarters  of  the  Society 
in  this  country.  In  November,  1734,  others,  under 
the  leadership  of  John  Toeltschig  and  Anthony 
Seyffart,  left  Herrnhut,  a  Moravian  settlement  in 
Saxony,  to  establish  a  colony  in   Georgia,  on  a 


THE  FIRST  MORAVIAN  MISSION  AMONG  THE  DELAWARES. 


29 


tract  of  land  granted  to  Count  Zinzendorf  by  the 
Trustees  of  that  province,  for  cultivation  by  the 
brethren,  who  hoped  that  a  way  might  thus  be 
opened  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  Creek,  Chicka- 
saw and  Cherokee  Indians.  In  London  they  were 
joined  by  Rev.  Augustus  GottHeb  Spangenberg. 
They  arrived  in  Georgia  in  the  spring  of  1735,  and 
were  joined  by  others  during  the  summer.  The  colo- 
ny had  but  just  entered  upon  a  career  of  prosperity, 
when  they  were  involved  in  serious  political  com- 
plications. The  Spaniards  made  an  effort  to  expel 
the  English  from  Georgia,  and  the  brethren  were 
called  upon  to  join  the  other  colonists  in  arms  to 
resist  the  attempt;  but  this  they  refused  to  do. 
This  dissatisfied  the  other  colonists  and  the 
brethren  were  constrained  to  leave  their  flourish- 
ing plantations,  which  a  portion  of  them  did  in 
1738,  and  the  remainder  in  1740,  retiring  into 
Pennsylvania. 

Under  these  discouraging  circumstances  was 
commenced  the  Moravian  mission  at  Shekomeko, 
in  the  town  of  Pine  Plains  in  this  county — a  place, 
which,  says  Mr.  Isaac  Hunting,  was  notorious  for 
its  wickedness,  and  had  been  for  years  before. 
Seeking  another  field  of  labor,  one  of  these  brethren. 
Christian  Henry  Ranch,  was  dispatched  to  New 
York,  where  he  arrived  July  16,  1740.  There  he 
unexpectedly  met  Frederick  Martin,  a  missionary 
from  St.  Thomas,  who  introduced  him  to  several 
influential  persons,  who,  it  was  thought,  would  take 
an  interest  in  the  work,  and  give  him  information 
respecting  the  Indians  and  the  best  means  of  gain- 
ing an  influence  with  them.  But  they  unanimously 
discouraged  the  attempt,  saying  "that  the  Indians 
were,  universally,  of  such  a  vicious  and  abandoned 
character,  that  all  efforts  for  their  improvement 
would  be  dangerous,  as  well  as  utterly  in  vain,''  as 
all  hitherto  made  had  been. 

Not  discouraged,  however,  he  sought  out  an  em- 
bassy of  Mahicans,  who  had  recently  arrived  in 
New  York  on  business  with  the  Colonial  Govern- 
ment. At  his  first  visit,  and  for  some  time  after- 
ward, they  were  "in  a  state  of  beastly  intoxication 
and  terribly  ferocious  in  appearance  and  manners." 
Patiently  awaiting  their  return  to  sobriety,  he  opened 
a  conversation  with  two  of  the  principal  chiefs — 
Tschoop  and  Shabash — who,  from  their  intercourse 
with  the  Dutch  settlers  along  the  Hudson,  were 
slightly  acquainted  with  the  Dutch  language.  With- 
out ceremony  he  inquired  if  they  desired  "  a  teacher 
to  instruct  them  in  the  way  to  salvation  ?" 
"Tschoop  answered  in  the  affirmative,  adding,  that 
he  frequently  felt  disposed  to  know  better  things 


than  he  did,  but  knew  not  how,  or  where  to  find 
them;  therefore,  if  any  one  would  come  and  in- 
struct him  and  his  acquaintance,  he  should  be 
thankful;  that  they  were  all  poor  and  wicked,  yet 
he  thought  that  it  might  answer  a  good  purpose,  if 
a  teacher  would  come  and  dwell  with  them."  Sha- 
bash gave  his  assent.  Rejoiced  at  this  disposition, 
Ranch  promised  to  accompany  them  on  their  re- 
turn ;  "  upon  which  they  declared  him  to  be  their 
preacher,  with  true  Indian  solemnity."  "Some 
days  after  he  visited  again,  but  found  them  so  much 
intoxicated,  that  they  could  neither  speak  nor 
stand.  Upon  his  third  visit  he  found  them  sober, 
and  having  agreed  to  set  out  before  them,  they 
promised  to  call  for  him  at  Mr.  Martin  Hoffman's, 
on  North  River."  Here  for  some  days  he  awaited 
their  arrival  in  vain,  when,  going  in  search  of  them 
to  a  neighboring  Indian  town,  they  missed  him,  and 
proceeded  on  their  journey. 

The  devoted  missionary  soon  followed  them  to 
their  village  of  Shekomeko,*  which  was  situated 
in  "a  most  beautiful  and  romantic  spot,"  on  lot  12 
of  the  Little  Nine  Partners,  now  the  farm  of  Mr. 
Edward  Hunting,  about,  two  miles  south  of  the 
village  of  Pine  Plains.  He  arrived  August  16, 
1740,  "and  was  received  in  the  Indian  manner 
with  much  kindness.''  Tschoop  and  Shabash  had 
previously  "announced  him  as  the  man  whom  they 
had  appointed  to  be  their  teacher;"  and  he  im- 
mediately addressed  them  on  the  subject  of  his 
mission,  and  of  the  means  of  redemption,  to  which 
they  listened  "  with  great  attention,"  and,  appar- 
ently, "  not  without  impression."  But  the  next  day, 
when  he  repeated  his  exhortations,  "  he  perceived 
with  sorrow  that  his  words  excited  derision,  and  at 
last  they  openly  laughed  him  to  scorn."  Not  dis- 
couraged, however,  at  this  rebuff,  he  indefatigably 
visited  the  Indians  in  their  huts  and  made  them 
the  subjects  of  personal  exhortations.  Amid 
mental  suffering,  while  struggling  with  outward 
distress  and  famine,  he  persevered  in  his  efforts, 
traveling  on  foot  from  one  Indian  town  to  another, 
as  he  had  neither  the  means  to  keep  a  horse  nor 
hire  a  boat,  suffering  from  heat  and  fatigue,  and 
often  denied  even  the  poor  shelter  of  an  Indian 
hut  for  refreshments  and  rest. 

*  Mr.  Isaac  Huntings  of  Pine  Plains,  in  a  contribution  to  The  Dutch- 
ess Farmer^  under  date  of  April  la,  1878,  says,  this  word,  which  he 
spells  Che-ko-me-ko,  with  the  accent  on  the  last  syllable,  means  '^  Little 
Mountain" — *'  one  of  the  range  of  high  hills  three  miles  south  of  the 
villaG;e  of  Pine  Plains,  the  one  whose  high  point  terminates  so  abruptly  to 
the  west  in  the  Sterrick  Valley, "  which  Loskiel  calls  **Stissik  mountain.'* 
We  have  adopted  the  orthography  in  general  use  among  authors.  Mr. 
Lossing,  the  historian,  says,  on  the  authority  of  Aunt  Eunice  Maweehu, 
the  word  is  more  correctly  pronounced  with  the  accent  on  the  second 
syllable. 


s° 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


At  length  his  zeal  and  devotion,  which  gradually 
won  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  Indians, 
was  rewarded  by  the  conversion  of  Tschoop,  "  the 
greatest  drunkard  and  the  most  outrageous  villain 
among   them,"   who   asked  the   missionary,   says 
Loskiel,  "  what  effects  the  blood   of  the  Son  of 
God,  slain  on  the  cross,  could  produce  in  the  heart 
of  man."      Shabash  was   soon    after    awakened, 
"and  the  labor  of  the  Holy  Spirit  became  remark- 
ably evident  in  the  hearts  of  these  two  savages. 
Their  eye?  overflowed  with  tears,  whenever  Brother 
Rauch  described,  to  them  the  sufferings  and  death 
of  our   Redeemer.      They  often  lamented  their 
former  blindness   in    worshiping   idols."      These 
conversions   aroused  the  neighboring   Christians, 
particularly  the  inhabitants   of   Rhinebeck,   who 
became  eager  to  hear  the  gospel,  and  desired  the 
missionary  to  preach  to  them  in  a  barn.     Many, 
says  Loskiel,  received  an  abiding  blessing.     The 
change  which  took  place  in  the  heart  and  conduct 
of  Tschoop   was  very  striking;  for  he  had  been 
distinguished  in  all  parties  met  for  diversion  as 
the  most  outrageous,  and  had  even  made  himself 
a  cripple  by  debauchery. 

But  now,  says  Rev.  Sheldon  Davis,  in  his  S/ie- 
komeko*  many  of  the  white  settlers,  who,  while 
they  corrupted,  abused  and  vilified  the  Indians, 
lived  upon  their  vices,  and  made  large  gains,  es- 
pecially by  their  drunkenness,  conceived  that  their 
interests  would  be  injured  by  the  success  of  the 
missionary.  They  therefore  stirred  up  the  more 
vicious  Indians,  and  raised  a  persecution  against 
him,  and  even  instigated  them  to  threaten  his  life 
if  he  did  not  leave  the  place.  Even  Tschoop  and 
Shabash  were  filled  with  mistrust,  and  became 
disaffected  towards  him.  The  former  even  sought 
an  opportunity  to  shoot  him,  says  Loskiel;  and 
the  latter,  though  he  did  not  seek  his  life,  avoided 
him  everywhere.  Once,  he  adds,  an  Indian  ran 
after  him  with  a  hatchet,  and  would  doubtless  have 
killed  him,  had  he  not  stumbled  and  fallen  into 
the  water.  Thus  not  only  contempt,  mockery  and 
insults  were,  as  he  expressed  it,  his  daily  bread, 
but  several  white  people  even  sought  an  occasion 
to  beat  and  abuse  him,  and  some  threatened  to 
hang  him  in  the  woods. 

In  the  midst  of  these  bitter  trials  he  writes : 
"Yet  I  will  continue  to  preach  the  death  of  the 

*  This  is  the  title  of  a  pamphlet  published  at  Foughkeepsie,  in  May, 
1858,  by  Rev.  Sheldon  Davis,  an  Episcopal  clergyman,  then  resident  at 
Pleasant  Valley.  As  early  as  1850,  Mr.  Davis'  attention  was  called  to 
the  existence  of  certain  memorials  of  the  Moravian  missions  in  this 
countyf  and  he  first  directed  the  attention  of  the  public  and  the  Moravian 
Church  to  the  condition  of  these  mission  sites  in  this  State  and  Connecti- 
cut. 


Lord  Jesus,  for  my  soul  hungers  and  thirsts  after 
the  salvation  of  these  heathen.     To  gather  souls 
for  Him,  is  the  chief  desire  of  my  heart,  and  I 
proceed  upon  the  word  of  my  I.,ord  in  spite  of  the 
combined  force  of  the  enemy;  for  no  gate  of  Hell 
is  so  well  secured  as  to  resist  the  power  of  Christ 
to  burst  it   open."     Nevertheless,   he   thought   it 
advisable  to  depart  for  a  while ;  and  he  sought  and 
found  refuge  with  a  German  settler  named  John 
Rau,  (now   spelled   Rowe,)  a  farmer  living  two 
miles  east  of  Shekomeko,  and  whose  sons  Matthias 
and  Philip  are  the  more  immediate  ancestors  of 
the  Rowes  now  living  in  and  about  Pine  Plains. 
Mr.  Rau  was  friendly  to  the  cause  of  Christiani- 
ty and  to  the  missionary ;  but  endeavored  to  dis- 
suade him  from  the  attempt  to  Christianize  "a  set 
of  savages,  more  like  incarnate  devils  than  human 
beings,"  as  he  regarded  the  objects  of  Mr.  Rauch's 
labors.     However   the  missionary  was  not  to   be 
diverted  from  his  purpose,  which  was   to  pursue 
his   higher  calUng   as   opportunity  offered,   while 
supporting  himself  by  the  labor  of  his  hands  and 
by  applying  the  httle  skill  he  possessed  in  the  use 
of  medicines.     Admiring  his  zeal,  Mr.  Rau  offered 
him  a  home,  on  condition  that  he  instruct  his  chil- 
dren, for,  added  he,  "  we  white  people  are  as  wicked 
and  ignorant  as  the  heathen."     He  was  ever  after 
the   firm  friend  of    the  faithful   missionary,   and 
aided  and  defended  him  and  those  subsequently 
associated  with  him  through  all  the   persecutions 
which  ultimately  drove  them  from  the  colony  and 
compelled  them  to  abandon  the  mission. 

During  all  these  trials,  the  good  missionary  fol- 
lowed his  converts  "  with  patierice  and  much  love, 
praying  for  them,  and  sowing  the  word  of  God  in 
tears."     His  courage,  prudence,  meekness  and  per- 
severance gradually  restored  the  confidence  of  the 
Indians,  with  whom  he  spent  much  |ime  in  their 
huts,  ate   and   drank  with  them,   and  even  slept 
among  them  with  the  greatest  composure.     This 
latter  circumstance  particularly  impressed  them,  es- 
pecially Tschoop,  who  remarked  to  himself:   "  This 
man  cannot  be  a  bad  man,  he  fears  no  evil,  not 
even  from  us,    who    are    so    savage,  but    sleeps 
comfortably,  and   places    his  life  in    our  hands." 
Tschoop  was  the  first  reclaimed,  and  Shabash  soon 
followed;   and  notwithstanding   the    base   efforts 
made  to  seduce  them,  they  persevered  in  the  course 
of  rectitude.     Such  was  the  success  of  the  mission- 
ary's labors,  that  many  Indians,  not  only  in  Sl^ko- 
meko,  but  also   in   Wechquadnach,  Pachgatgoch 
and  other   neighboring  towns,  "were  powerfully 
convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  gospel." 


COUNT  ZINZENDORF  VISITS  SHEKOMEKO. 


31 


In  June,  1741,  Ranch  visited  the  brethren  in 
Bethlehem,  and  returned  in  company  with  Bishop 
David  Nitschman,  the  companion  and  co-laborer 
of  Count  Zinzendorf,  who,  on  his  return,  gave  a 
favorable  report  of  what  he  had  seen  in  Shekomeko. 
In  October,  1741,  Gottlob  Buttner,  Christopher 
Pyrlseus  and  William  Zander  arrived  from  Europe 
to  assist  in  the  missions  of  the  society,  and  in  Jan- 
uary, 1742,  Biittner,  a  native  of  Silesia,  and  a  weaver 
by  trade,  by  appointment  of  Count  Zinzendorf,  who 
arrived  in  Pennsylvania  in  the  latter  part  of  1741, 
visited  Shekomeko,  to  invite  Rauch  to  a  synod  of 
of  the  brethren  of  Oley,  Pennsylvania.  "The 
gentle  and  laborious  Biittner,  "a  martyr  to  the 
blessed  work  upon  which  he  then  entered,"  "whose 
grave  at  Shekomeko,"  says  Davis,  "has  called  up 
and  preserved  the  memory  of  this  noble  effort  of 
the  Moravians,  and  whose  brief  history  is  of  the 
greatest  interest  in  connection  with  this  mission," 
spent  ten  days  with  Rauch,  and  first  preached 
to  the  Indians  of  Shekomeko,  January  14,  1742. 

January  22,  1742,  Rauch  and  Biittner  left  She- 
komeko to  attend  the  synod  at  Oley.  They  were 
accompanied  by  three  Indian  converts,  Shabash, 
Seim  and  Kiop.  They  traveled  on  foot,  and,  being 
in  the  company  of  Indians,  "were  refused  admit- 
tance at  some  inns,''  while  at  others,  they  were 
"  not  only  laughed  at,  but  their  bills  were  purposely 
overcharged."  They  reached  Oley  February  9th, 
and  on  the  i  ith,  Rauch  and  Biittner  were  ordained 
deacons  by  Bishops  Nitschman  and  Zinzendorf. 
After  this  ceremony,  Rauch  baptized  the  three  In- 
dians who  accompanied  him,  calling  them  respec- 
tively Abraham,  -Isaac  and  Jacob.  These  were 
the  first  fruits  of  the  Moravian  missions  in  North 
America.  Tschoop  was  too  lame  to  undertake  so 
long  a  journey  at  that  time. 

Rauch  and  the  three  Indians  soon  after  returned 
to  Shekomeko,  where,  on  the  i6th  of  April  follow- 
ing, the  first  sacramental  ceremony  was  performed, 
and  Tschoop  was  baptized,  receiving  the  christian 
name  of  John.  "This  man,"  says  Loskiel,  "who 
formerly  looked  more  like  a  wild  bear  than  a  hu- 
man creature,  was  now  transformed  into  a  lamb, 
and  whoever  beheld  him,  was  amazed  at  so  evident 
a  proof  of  the  powerful  efficacy  of  the  word  and 
sacrament  of  the  Lord."  He,  as  well  as  Abraham 
and  Isaac,  and  the  wife  of  Abraham,  with  others 
to  the  number  of  eighteen,  fell  a  victim  to  the  small- 
pox, which  prevailed  among  the  Indians  in  1746, 
first  at  Bethlehem  and  then  at  Gnadenhwetten.  He 
died  at  Bethlehem,  August  27,  1746,  andlies  buried 
there  with  his  Indian  brethren. 


The  wonderful  change  which  had  taken  place  in 
these  four  baptized  Indians,  whose  countenances, 
says  Loskiel,  as  compared  with  the  unbelieving 
Indians,  were  so  different,  as  to  be  remarked  by 
all  who  saw  them,  awakened  the  attention  of  oth- 
ers, who  flocked  to  Shekomeko,  from  a  distance  of 
twenty-five  to  thirty  miles  around. 

In  the  summer  of  1 7  42,  Rauch  was  visited  at 
Shekomeko  by  the  distinguished  Count  Zinzendorf, 
his  daughter  Benigna,  said  to  be  beautiful  and  in- 
teresting, and  Anthony  Seyffart.  This  was  an 
event  which  adds  no  little  interest  to  the  associa- 
tions which  cluster  around  Shekomeko.  They  left 
Bethlehem  on  the  21st  of  August,  and  crossed  the 
country  to  Esopus,  (Kingston,)  where  they  were 
joined  by  another  party  of  brethren  from  New 
York.  They  arrived  at  Shekomeko  on  the  27th, 
"  after  passing  through  dreadful  wildernesses, 
woods  and  swamps,  on  which  they  suffered  much 
hardship."  The  missionary  received  them  into 
his  hut  with  unexpressible  joy,  and  the  follow- 
ing day  lodged  them  in  a  bark  cottage,  erected 
for  them,  which  the  Count  afterwards  declared 
was  "the  most  agreeable  dwelling  he  had  ever 
inhabited." 

During  the  Count's  stay  he  baptized  six  Indians, 
named  Kaupaas,  Kermelok,  Herries,  and  the  wives 
of  Shabash,  Seim  and  Herries.  To  the  men  he 
gave  the  baptismal  names  of  Timothy,  Jonah  and 
Thomas;  and  to  the  women,  Sarah,  Rebecca  and 
Esther.  These  six,  together  with  the  four  previ- 
ously baptized,  he  formed  the  same  day  into  a 
Christian  congregation — the  first  congregation  of 
Indians  established  by  the  Moravians  in  North 
America.  The  "four  firstlings  were  appointed 
assistants,  and  blessed  for  their  office  with  impo- 
sition of  hands ;"  because,  says  the  eighth  article 
drawn  up  for  their  guidance,  "  a  peculiar  power  of 
grace  and  spirit  evidently  rests  upon  them."  John 
(  Tschoop)  was  appointed  Indian  teacher  and  inter- 
preter; Abraham,  (6'-4ffl^aj/4,)  elder;  Jacob,  {Kiop,) 
exhorter;  and  Isaac,  {Seim,)  servant. 

The  Count  took  an  affectionate  leave  of  Rauch 
and  the  Indians  at  Shekomeko,  Sept.  4,  1742,  and 
set  out  for  Bethlehem,  accompanied  by  some  un- 
baptized  Indians ;  two  of  whom,  having  answered 
satisfactonly  several  questions  put  to  them  in  the 
presence  of  the  whole  congregation,  were  baptized 
by  the  Count  and  the  missionary  Biittner,  and  named 
David  and  Joshua.  They  were  the  first  Indians 
baptized  in  Bethlehem.  David,  as  well  as  Thomas, 
before  referred  to,  were  among  the  small-pox  vic- 
tims of  1746. 


32 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Eiittner,  who  has  been  called  the  Luther  of  the 
Shekomeko  mission,  spent  some  time  after  his 
ordination  at  Bethlehem  and  its  vicinity,  preaching 
and  searching  for  a  wife,  whom  he  found  in  the 
person  of  Margaretta,  third  daughter  of  John 
Bechtel,  of  Germantown.  With  his  wife,  to  whom 
he  was  married  by  Count  Zinzendorf,  Sept  14, 
1742,  he  rejoined  Ranch  at  Shekomeko,  Oct.  i, 
1742  ;  and  the  two  preached  with  unanimity  and 
zeal,  either  in  English  or  Dutch;  while  John, 
Jonathan  and  other  baptized  Indians  interpreted 
and  confirmed  their  words,  both  in  public  and  in 
private,  with  great  energy.  The  Indians  from  the 
neighboring  towns  made  frequent  visits  to  Sheko- 
meko, and  many  "who  had  formerly  Hved  like 
wild  beasts,  worshiping  idols,  bloody-minded,  and 
eagerly  pursuing  all  manner  of  vices  and  abomina- 
tions," flocked  to  hear  the  gospel.  Towards  the 
close  of  the  year,  Martin  Mack  and  his  wife  arrived 
at  Shekomeko  to  engage  in  missionary  labors ;  and 
Rauch  went  on  a  visit  to  Bethlehem.  Such  was 
the  success  which  rewarded  their  zeal,  that  at  the 
close  of  the  year  1742,  the  number  of  baptized  In- 
dians in  Shekomeko  was  thirty-one — all  Mahicans. 

December  6,  1 7  42,  a  burying  ground  for  the  use 
of  the  baptized  Indians  was  laid  out,  and  in  it  the 
lamented  Biittner  was  afterwards  buried.  The  first 
interment  in  it  was  that  of  a  child  named  Lazara. 

The  spiritual  harvest  at  Shekomeko  demanded 
more  laborers.  Count  Zinzendorf  returned  to 
Europe  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1743;  but 
previous  to  his  departure  sent  Joseph  Shaw  to 
Shekomeko,  as  schoolmaster  to  the  Indian  chil- 
dren. His  stay,  however,  seems  to  have  been  of 
short  duration.  Rauch,  who  married  in  Bethlehem, 
Ann  Elizabeth  Robins,  returned  to  Shekomeko 
in  the  early  part  of  1743,  and  continued  his  labors 
jointly  with  Biittner  and  Mack.  Not  long  after 
Christopher  P)a-laeus  and  Gottlob  Senseman,  with 
their  wives,  joined  this  mission ;  also  Christian 
Frederick  Post,  "the  most  adventurous  of  Mora- 
vian Missionaries  sent  among  the  Indians,  who 
afterwards  married  a  Wampanoag  named  Rachel, 
one  of  the  first  converts  at  Pachgatgoch,  (near 
Kent,)  Connecticut.  Biittner  and  his  wife  re- 
mained the  greater  part  of  the  year  1743  at  Sheko- 
meko j  while  the  other  missionaries  spent  most  of 
that  period  in  visiting  other  places,  especially 
Wechquadnach*    and    Pachgatgoch,t    the    latter 

*  This  village  was  located  on  the  west  side  of  Indian  Pond,  in  the  town 
of  North  East.  Aunt  Eunice  Maweehu  said  the  correct  name  was  Pacii- 
quadn^h,  which  orthography  was  first  used  by  tlie  Moravian  Mission- 
aries, as  reference  to  their  diaries  shows. 

-tThis  name,  as  used  by  the  Missionaries,  as  well  as  the  modem  Schagh- 
ticoke,  are,  according  to  Aunt  Eunice  Maweehu,  corruptions  of  Pisli- 
gachtigok,  signifying  the  confluence  of  two  streams. 


about  twenty  miles  from  Shekomeko.  Rauch 
visited  the  country  about  Albany,  Schoharie  and 
"  Canatschochary  ;"  and  Pyrlseus,  the  Mohawks  at 
Tulpehokin,  remaining  three  months  with  the  dis- 
tinguished interpreter,  Conrad  Weiser,  to  learn 
their  language. 

Most  of  the  Indians  who  visited  Shekomeko, 
"  and  who  were  truly  awakened,"  lived  at  Pachgat- 
goch. Having  applied  in  vain  to  the  magistrates 
of  Connecticut  for  a  Christian  minister,  they  be- 
sought the  Moravians  to  send  one  to  preach  "  the 
sweet  words  of  Jesus."  Accordingly  Mack  and  his 
wife  went  thither  on  the  38th  of  January.  They 
also  visited  Potatik,  a  village  about  seventy  miles 
further  inland.  They  returned  to  Shekomeko  at 
the  expiration  of  two  weeks,  but  later  in  the  year 
he  and  his  wife  took  up  their  abode  at  Pachgat- 
goch. The  success  of  the  mission  at  Pachgatgoch 
was  even  greater  than  at  Shekomeko,  and  it  was 
continued  there  at  intervals  for  more  than  twenty 
years. 

"The  Indian  congregation  at  Shekomeko  con- 
tinued to  increase  in  number  and  grace,"  and 
March  13,  1743,  the  holy  communion  was  for  the 
first  time  administered  to  them.  It  was  preceded 
by  a  love  feast,  and  followed  by  the  pedilavium. 
"  During  the  subsequent  meeting  for  adoration 
and  thanksgiving,"  writes  the  missionary,  "  we 
were  overcome  with  weeping,  and  whilst  I  live,  I 
shall  never  lose  the  impression  this  first  com- 
munion with  the  Indians  in  North  America  made 
upon  me." 

In  July,  1743,  the  new  chapel  at  Shekomeko  was 
finished  and  consecrated,  some  of  the  elders  of 
the  congregation  at  Bethlehem  being  present.  It 
was  thirty  feet  long  and  twenty  broad,  and  entirely 
covered  with  smooth  bark.  The  daily  meetings 
were  now  regulated  in  a  better  manner.  A  dis- 
course was  usually  delivered  every  forenoon,  and  a 
hymn  gung  in  the  evening.  A  monthly  "  prayer- 
day  "  was  established,  at  which  accounts  were  read 
concerning  the  progress  of  the  gospel  in  different 
parts  of  the  world.  On  these  days,  as  well  as  all 
Sundays  and  festival  days,  "Shekomeko  seemed 
alive,"  says  Loskiel,  "and  it  may  be  said  with  truth, 
that  the  believers  showed  forth  the  death  of  the 
Lord,  both  early  and  late.  One  day  above  one 
hundred  savages  came  thither  on  a  visit,  and  one 
of  the  missionaries  observed,  that  wherever  two  were 
standing  and  conversing  together,  our  Lord  Jesus, 
and  his  love  to  sinners,  as  the  cause  of  his  bitter 
sufferings,  was  the  subject  of  conversation.  The 
zeal  of  the  baptized  Indians  in  testifying  of  our 


PERSECUTIONS  OF  THE  MORAVIAN  MISSIONARIES. 


33 


Saviour  was  such,  that  they  were  thus  employed 
even  till  after  midnight."  At  the  close  of  the  year 
1743,  the  congregation  of  baptized  Indians  consist- 
ed of  sixty-three  persons,  exclusive  of  those  at  Pach- 
gatgoch,  from  whence  Mack  had  been  driven  to 
Shekomeko,  followed  by  many  of  the  Indians  whom 
he  had  instructed,  by  persecutions  instigated  by 
malevolent  white  settlers,  who  had  been  accustomed 
to  make  the  dissolute  life  of  the  Indians,  especially 
their  love  of  Uquor,  subservient  to  their  advantage. 
Mack,  Shaw  and  Pyrlseus,  (the  two  latter  being  on 
a  visit  to  Pachgatgoch,)  were  branded  as  papists 
and  traitors,  and  were  arrested,  "  and  dragged  up 
and  down  the  country  for  three  days,  till  the  Gov- 
ernor of  Connecticut,  hearing  their  case,  honorably 
dismissed  them." 

The  first  months  of  the  year  1744  were  spent 
in  peace  by  the  mission  at  Shekomeko,  which  was 
then  under  the  care  of  the  missionaries  Mack, 
Shaw  and  Senseman ;  Post  having  been  recalled, 
and  Biittner  being  on  a  visit  to  Bethlehem  from 
January  till  May  of  that  year.  But  grave  difficul- 
ties soon  disturbed  this  grateful  quiet.  The  war 
which  was  commenced  this  year  between  the 
French  and  English,  known  as  the  French  and 
Indian  War,  by  which  the  entire  English  frontier, 
from  Nova  Scotia  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mononga- 
hela,  was  laid  waste  by  fire  and  sword,  and  at  least 
a  thousand  people  were  killed  and  carried  into 
captivity,  exclusive  of  the  losses  of  soldiers,  was 
made  the  pretext'  by  disaffected  white  settlers  in 
the  neighborhood  for  fomenting  jealousy  and 
hatred  against  the  Moravian  missionaries.  They 
were  accused  of  being  in  the  French  interest,  and, 
like  the  Jesuits,  on  whose  heads  a  price  was  set, 
with  laboring  to  alienate  the  Indians  from,  and 
array  them  against,  the  English  colonists.  The 
Indians,  who  were  generally  in  alliance  or  in 
sympathy  with  the  French,  through  the  great  in- 
fluence exerted  over  them  by  the  Jesuit  mission- 
aries, were  commonly  looked  upon  as  enemies  by 
the  English  colonists,  and  those  who  befriended 
them  naturally  became  objects  of  suspicion.  These 
falsehoods  were  assiduously  circulated,  and  the 
white  settlers  became  thoroughly  alarmed.  Many 
forsook  their  farms ;  others  placed  themselves 
under  arms  for  mutual  defense ;  and  the  civil 
authorities  were  urged  to  interfere. 

March  i,  1744,  says  Loskiel,  Justice  Hegeman, 
of  Filkentown,  (now  Mabbettsville,)  "arrived  in 
Shekomeko,  and  informed  Brother  Mack,  that  it 
was  his  duty  to  inquire  what  sort  of  people  the 
Brethren  were,  for  that  the  most  dangerous  tenets 


and  views  were  ascribed  to  them.  He  added,  that 
as  to  himself  he  disbelieved  all  those  lying  reports 
concerning  them,  and  acknowledged  the  mission 
in  Shekomeko  to  be  a  work  of  God,  because,  by 
the  labor  of  the  Brethren,  the  most  savage  heathen 
had  been  so  evidently  changed,  that  he,  and  many 
other  Christians,  were  put  to  shame  by  their  godly 
walk  and  conversation ;  but  that,  notwithstanding 
his  own  persuasion,  it  would  be  of  service  to  the 
Brethren  themselves,  if  he  was  suffered  minutely 
to  examine  into  their  affairs,  with  a  view  to  silence 
their  adversaries."  In  the  absence  of  Biittner, 
who,  during  these  troubles  was  regarded  as  their 
leader  and  counselor — a  position  awarded  him  no 
less  from  his  superiority  than  his  amiability — he 
only  desired  to  be  informed  of  his  return.  Upon 
notification  of  the  return  of  Biittner  in  May  fol- 
lowing, the  missionaries  Ranch,  Biittner  and  Shaw 
were  summoned  to  Pickipsi  (Poughkeepsie)  "  to 
exercise  with  the  miUtia ; "  but  they  claimed  ex- 
emption, as  ministers  of  the  gospel,  from  military 
service,  and  did  not  go.  On  the  i8th  of  June 
another  summons  was  issued,  pursuant  to  an  order 
from  Governor  Clinton  to  Col.  Henry  Beekman, 
dated  the  8th,*  requiring  their  attendance  on  the 
23d.  The  following  day  a  Justice,  with  the  Sheriff 
and  eight  men,  arrived  from  Pickipsi,  and  in- 
formed the  missionaries  that  two  companies  had 
been  ready  to  march  to  arrest  them,  but  that  he 
had  prevented  it,  with  a  view  to  examining  the 
whole  affair  himself.  After  receiving  answers  to 
his  inquiries  as  to  the  nature  of  their  business  and 
who  sent  them,  he  observed  that,  though  he  con- 
sidered the  accusations  brought  against  them  re- 
specting the  Indians  to  be  groundless,  yet,  if 
they  were  papists,  as  a  clergyman  in  Dover  had 
positively  asserted  in  a  letter  then  but  recently 
written,  they  could  not  be  suffered  to  remain  in 
the  country.  He  added,  every  inhabitant  was  re- 
quired to  take  two  oaths,  one  of  which  was,  "  That 
King  George  being  the  lawful  sovereign  of  the 
kingdom,  he  would  not  in  any  way  encourage  the 
Pretender;"  the  other,  "That  he  rejected  tran- 
substantiation,  the  worship  of  the  Virgin  Mary, 
purgatory,  etc."  Biittner  assured  him  that  they 
could  assent  to  every  point  contained  in  the  oaths ; 
yet,  though  he  did  not  condemn  those  who  took  a 
lawful  oath,  he  hoped  that,  for  conscience  sake,  he 
would  not  insist  upon  their  swearing ;  but  that  he 
would  submit  to  every  punishment  for  perjury  if 
found  acting  contrary  to  the  asseveration  yes  or  no. 
The  Justice  expressed  satisfaction  for  the  present, 

*  Council  Minutes,  XIX.,  Doc.  Hist.  III.,  loij. 


34 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


but  required  the  missionaries  under  a  penalty  of 
;^4o  to  appear  before  the  court  in  Pickipsi  on  the 
1 6th  of  October.  He  then  visited  the  Christian 
Indians  in  their  plantations  and  took  leave  with 
much  civility. 

Col.  Beekman,  who  had  also  been  ordered  to 
search  the  "Moravians  and  other  disaffected 
persons "  for  arms  and  ammunition,  and  to  cause 
the  dispersion  of  the  Indians,  wrote  to  the  Gover- 
nor "  that  there  were  four  Moravian  priests  and 
many  Indians  at  Schocomico,"  and  that,  having 
made  search  for  arms  and  ammunition,  he  could 
neither  find  nor  hear  of  any.  In  referring  in  the 
same  letter  to  this  visit  of  the  Justice,  Sheriff  and 
others,  on  the  "i8th"  of  June,  he  wrote  "they 
found  all  the  Indians  at  work  on  their  plantations," 
and  that  they  "  seemed  in  a  consternation  at  the 
approach  of  the  Sheriff  and  his  company,  but  re- 
ceived them  civilly ;  that  they  found  no  ammuni- 
tion, and  as  few  arms  as  could  be  expected  for 
forty-four  men."* 

On  the  2  2d  of  June,  the  missionaries  went  to 
Rhinebeck,  in  answer  to  summons,  and  were  re- 
quired to  prove  in  open  court,  before  Justice  Beek- 
man, that  they  were  privileged  teachers.  "  Biittner 
produced  his  written  vocation,  and  his  certificate 
of  ordination,  duly  signed  by  Bishop  David  Nitsch- 
man,  adding,  that  the  protestant  church  of  the 
Brethren  had  been  declared  by  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  to  be  an  Episcopal  and  Apostolical 
church  ;  and  therefore  they  hoped  that  they  would 
be  entitled  to  the  same  toleration  enjoyed  by  other 
protestant  communities."  These  evidences  were 
rejected,  and  they  were  ordered  to  appear  before 
the  court  to  be  held  at  Pickipsi  in  October  follow- 
ing, by  order  of  the  Governor.  But  as  the  accusa- 
tions against  them  increased  very  fast,  and  a  great 
stir  was  raised  among  the  people,  the  magistrates 
thought  proper  to  hasten  the  examination,  and 
they  were  required  to  appear  at  Filkentown  on  the 
14th  of  July.  Three  witnesses  were  heard  against 
them,  but  their  testimony  "  made  no  impression 
upon  the  court."  Their  friend,  John  Rau,  kindly 
accompanied  them,  and  was  examined  in  their 
behalf.  He  testified  that  he  "  could  say  nothing 
but  what  tended  to  their  honor;  that  he  had 
frequently  been  present  with  his  whole  family  at 
their  meetings,  and  had  never  seen  anything  to 
justify  the  strange  accusations  brought  against 
them."    They  were  again  honorably  acquitted. 

In  the  meantime  the  accusations  of  their  adver- 
saries  had  been  repeatedly  brought  to  the  ears  of 

*  Council  Minutes,  XIX.,  Doc.  Hist  III.,  1013. 


Governor  Clinton,  and  at  a  meeting  of  the  council 
July  5,  1744,  on  presenting  the  subject  to  that 
body,  he  was  advised  to  write  to  the  sheriff  of 
Duchess  county  to  order  the  missionaries  to  appear 
before  him  at  New  York.  The  Governor  com- 
municated this  action  to  Henry  Filkin,  High  Sheriff, 
the  same  date,  and  on  the  17th,  that  officer  visited 
Shekomeko,  which,  he  says,  in  his  letter  to  the 
Governor  acquainting  him  of  the  fact,  is  inhabited 
chiefly  by  Indians,  where  also  live  Gudlop  Bydner, 
Hendrick  Joachim  Senseman  and  Joseph  Shaw, 
three  Moravian  priests,  with  their  families,  in  a 
block  house,  and  sixteen  Indian  wigwams  round 
about  it.  The  two  first  were  at  home,  where- 
upon he  acquainted  them  with  his  Excellency's 
order,  and  they  promised  to  set  out  on  the  24th 
instant,  and  that  he  perceivgd  nothing  disorderly 
there.* 

Accordingly  the  three  missionaries  repaired  to 
New  York,  (Shaw  being  then  at  Bethlehem,)  and 
there  learned  "that  the  attention  of  the  whole  town 
was  raised,"  and  that  "they  were  regarded  as  disturb- 
ers of  the  public  peace,  deserving  either  imprison- 
ment, whipping,  or  banishment."  They  were  ex- 
amined separately  before  the  council  on  the  ist  of 
August,  and  asked  to  take  the  oaths,  which  each 
refused  to  do.  Justice  Beekman,  who  had  pre- 
viously examined  them  in  Rhinebeck,  publicly  de- 
fended them  in  New  York,  and  affirmed  "  that  the 
good  done  by  them  among  the  Indians  was  unde- 
niable." August  II,  1744,  in  re'sponse  to  the  in- 
quiry of  the  Governor  as  to  "what  further  should 
be  done  in  relation  to  the  Moravian  priests,"  it  is 
recorded  that  "the  council  were  of  opinion  to  ad- 
vise his  Excellency  to  order  [them]  back  to  -their 
homes  and  required  them  to  hve  there  peaceably 
and  await  the  further  orders  of  his  Excellency."  On 
the  2 1  St,  leave  was  given  them  to  return  home; 
but  they  were  enjoined  to  "  live  according  to  their 
religiofls  tenets  in  such  a  manner  that  no  suspicions 
might  arise  concerning  them."  They  received  a 
certificate  of  their  acquittal  in  writing,  "  to  secure 
them  against  any  injury  from  the  mob."  Biittner 
and  Shaw  arrived  at  Shekomeko  on  the  9th  of 
September;  but  Senseman  went  to  Bethlehem, 
there  to  give  an  account  of  these  transactions.f 

Biittner  answered  the  summons  to  Pickipsi  in 
October.  His  health  was  already  greatly  impaired, 
yet  he  was  detained  there  two  days  in  very  severe 
weather.  At  last,  through  the,  intervention  of  a 
friend,  his  case  was  brought  forward ;  but  having 

*Doc.  Hist.  Ill,  1014. 

tLosiiel,  Part  It,  Chap,  ly.  6l-6z.    Doc.  Hist.,  Ill,  1014-10191 


THE  MORAVIANS  FORBIDDEN  TO  PREACH  TO  THE  INDIANS. 


35 


received  a  dismission  from  the  Governor,  he  was 
liberated  without  further  examination. 

The  adversaries  of  the  missionaries  having  thus 
far  failed  in  their  machinations,  except  so  far  as  to 
annoy  them  and  interfere  with  the  successful  prose- 
cution of  their  labors,  now  resorted  to  other  meas- 
ures which,  unhappily,  were  successful  and  ulti- 
mately broke  up  the  flourishing  mission  at  She- 
komeko.  The  prosecutions  thus  far  had  been  con- 
ducted under  the  enactment  against  Jesuits,  passed 
July  31,  1700,  previously  referred  to;  but  each 
examination  to  which  they  had  been  subjected 
showed  clearly  that  they  had  no  affiUation  with 
papacy.  It  became  necessary,  therefore,  in  order 
to  accomplish  their  purpose  to  resort  to  other 
means ;  and,  knowing  that  the  Moravians  had  con- 
scientious scruples  against  taking  an  oath,  through 
their  exertions  a  law  was  passed  by  the  As- 
sembly September  21,  1744,  requiring  all  persons 
residing  within  the  province  to  take  the  State  oaths 
under  a  pecuniary  penalty,  or  six  months  imprison- 
ment in  default,  and  forbidding  any  person  "  to 
reside  amongst  their  Indians  under  the  pretence  of 
bringing  them  over  to  the  Christian's  faith,  without 
the  license  of  the  Governor  and  the  consent  of  the 
council."* 

November  27,  1744,  the  Governor,  by  advice  of 
the  council,  directed  the  Deputy  Clerk  of  the 
council  to  write  to  the  sheriffs  of  the  counties  of 
Albany,  Ulster  and  Duchess,  "  to  give  notice  to 
the  several  Moravian  and  vagrant  teachers  among 
the  Indians  in  their  respective  counties  *  *  « 
to  desist  from  further  teaching  or  preaching  and  to 
depart  this  province;"  also  to  the  several  Justices 
of  the  Peace  of  those  counties,  directing  them,  in 
case  of  refusal,  to  "immediately  put  the  act  in 
execution  against  them."  December  15,  1744,  the 
sheriff  and  three  justices  arrived  at  Shekdmeko, 
prohibited  all  meetings,  and  commanded  the  mis- 
sionaries to  appear  before  the  court  in  Pickipsi  on 
the  17th  of  that  month.  Biittner  was  too  ill  to 
comply ;  but  Ranch  and  Mack  did  so,  and  were 
edified  by  the  reading  of  the  act  in  question.  Biitt- 
ner thus  wrote  to  the  brethren  in  Bethlehem :  "We 
are  either  to  depart,  or  incur  a  heavy  penalty. 
They  threaten  to  seize  upon  all  we  possess.  We 
have  but  little,  and  if  they  take  away  that  little, 
then  we  shall  yet  have  as  much  left  as  our  Lord 
had,  when  on  earth."! 


♦  This  law  was  calculated  to  continue  in  force  for  one  year  only,  and 
expired  by  its  own  limitation.— Zlw.  Hist.,  Ill,  1027. 

t  Digest  of  Davis's  Shekemeko^  in  Moravians  in  New  York  and  Con- 
neciicui,  45,"  Holmes'  Missions  of  the  United  Brethren,  134;  Loskiel, 
Part  II..,  Chaf.  1^,63,64;  Doc,  Hist.,  III.,  1019,  1010. 


In  November,  1744,  the  Moravian  Bishop,  A. 
G.  Spangenberg,  to  whom  the  care  of  the  affairs  of 
the  brethren  in  North  America  had  been  com- 
mitted, visited  the  persecuted  congregation  at  She- 
komeko,  with  whom  he  remained  from  the  6th  to 
the  1 8th ;  but  his  efforts  to  devise  means  whereby 
the  good  work  might  be  continued  were  unavailing. 

December  31, 1744,  Count  Zinzendorf  addressed 
a  letter  from  Marienborn,  Germany,  to  the  Board 
of  Trade  of  New  York,  in  which  he  complained 
of  the  injustice  of  the  act  of  September  21,  1744, 
and  asked  for  relief  Two  Moravian  ministers  also 
directed  their  attention  to  the  same  subject.  June 
28,  1745,  the  Board  of  Trade  wrote  Governor 
CUnton,  requesting  information  regarding  "  the 
behaviour  of  these  Moravians,"  "  and  whether  any 
ill-practices  on  their  part  gave  occasion  to  their 
being  inserted  by  name  in  the  said  act."  This 
elicited  from  the  council  in  May,  1746,  an  official 
exposition  of  the  reasons  which,  in  their  opinion 
influenced  the  Assembly  in  the  passage  of  the  law — 
"  a  document  which,"  says  Davis,  "  for  its  miscon- 
ception of  the  real  character  of  the  zealous  and 
good  men  against  whom  it  was  aimed,  and  the 
odious  imputations  which  it  casts  upon  them,  is 
seldom  equalled."  "  It  is  some  palliation,  perhaps, 
of  these  persecuting  measures/'  adds  the  same 
author,  "that  the  public  mind  was  exceedingly 
sensitive,  and  that  the  whole  country  was  filled 
with  rumors  to  the  prejudice  of  the  harmless 
Moravians.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  equally 
true  that  they  had  fully  proved  themselves  clear  of 
every  charge  that  had  been  preferred  against  them, 
and  finally,  secured  a  full  vindication  by  the  highest 
authority  of  the  British  Government.  For,  by  an 
act  of  the  British  ParUament,  passed  May  12th, 
1749,  'the  Unitas  Fratrum  were  acknowledged  as 
an  ancient  Protestant  Episcopal  Church ;  those  of 
its  members  who  scrupled  to  take  an  oath,  were, 
exempted  from  it  on  making  a  declaration  in  the 
presence  of  Almighty  God,  as  witness  of  the  truth; 
they  were  exempted  from  acting  as  jurymen  ;  they 
were  entirely  exempted  from  raihtary  duty  under 
reasonable  conditions.'  Such  was  the  ultimate 
result  of  the  remonstrances  of  the  Moravians  to 
the  British  and  Colonial  Governments.  A  result 
however,  so  tardy  as  that,  though  it  aided  their 
subsequent  missionary  efforts,  it  was  yet  of  little 
or  no  service  to  the  poor  Christian  Indians  and 
their  self-denying  teachers  at  Shekomeko."  In 
1753,  they  were  invited  to  the  scene  of  their 
former  persecutions  both  in  New  York  and  New 
England  to  preach.     In  New  York  city  they  built 


36 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


a  church;  they  ministered  to  the  Indians  at 
Pachgatgoch  and  Wechquadnach ;  and  even  the 
white  settlers  of  Duchess  county  "  begged  for  and 
obtained  a  minister  from  Bethlehem."* 

But  the  beloved  Biittner  was  not  permitted  to 
return  with  his  associates  to  Bethlehem.  He  sank 
under  his  physical  infirmities,  which  were  aggra- 
vated by  mental  afflictions,  and  "  fell  gently  and 
happily  asleep  in  Jesus,"  February  23,  1745,  in  the 
presence  of  all  the  Indian  assistants,  whom  he 
exhorted  with  his  dying  lips  to  be  faithful  to  the 
end.  The  Indians  wept  over  him  as  children. over 
a  beloved  parent.  With  holy  awe  and  reverence 
they  prepared  his  remains  for  the  tomb.  They 
dressed  his  corpse  in  white,  and  buried  it  with 
great  solemnity  in  the  burying-ground  at  Sheko- 
meko.  They  watered  his  grave  with  their  tears, 
and  for  a  long  period  thereafter  continued  to  weep 
over  it.  The  stone  afterwards  erected  over  his 
grave  bore  the  following  j  inscription  : — 

HiER  RUHET 

GOTTLOB  BUETTNER, 

DER  NACH  DEN  BeFEHL  SEINES 

GOTTES  AM  KrEUZ, 

DEN  Heiden  die  Botschaft  BRACHTE,  • 

DAS  IHRE  SUNDEN  DURCH  DAS 

BlUT  JeSU  VERSOHNT  BIND, 

welches  sie  auch  angenomen 

und  sich  in  den  tod  des 

Herrn  haben  Taufen  lassen. 

Sein  leztes  Flehen  war, 

DAS  SIE  Alle  mochten  behalten  werden, 

BIS  AUF  DEN  TaG  JeSU  ChRISTI. 

Er  war  geboren  den  xxix  sten 
December  MDCCXVI,  (v.s.) 
UND  entschlief,  im  Herrn, 
am  xxiii  sten  Februar  MDCCXLV.  (v.  s.) 
After  the   burial  of  Biittner,  the   believing  In- 
dians held  a  council,  to   consider  whether  they 
should  not  leave  Shekomeko  ;  fearing  that,  if  left 
to  themselves,  they  might  be  gradually  overcome 
by  sinful  seductions.     However,  they  continued 
to  meet  as  usual,  and  only  now  and  then  one  or 
more  brethren,  acquainted  with  the  language,  were 

*  Crantz^  History  of  the  United  Brethren^  401. 

t  A  copy  of  this  inscription  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Benson  J. 
Lossing,  LL.  D.,  and  was  furnished  by  him  for  pnblication  in  The 
Dutchess  Farmer^  of  May  7,  1878.  It  was  copied  exact  from  the  tomb- 
stone, and  sent  from  "Northeast  Town,"  May  16,  1806,  to  Gilbert 
Livingston,  at  Poughlceepsie,  by  Stephen  Winans,  at  the  request  of  his 
father,  Gerardus  Winans,  for  translation  into  English.  It  recently  came 
into  the  possession  of  Mr.  Lossing  with  other  papers  of  the  Livingston 
family.  The  original  draft,  from  a  published  copy  of  which  the  above  is 
given,  is  preserved  in  Bethlehem.  The  following  is  the  English  transla- 
tion, as  given  by  Loskiel,  [Partll.^  Chap.V.^  69): — 

"  Here  lies  the  body  of  Gottlob  Buettner,  who,  according  to  the  com- 
mand of  his  crucified  God  and  Saviour,  brought  the  glad  tidings  to  the 
heathen,  that  the  blood  of  Jesus  had  made  an  atonement  for  their  sins. 
As  many  as  embraced  this  doctrine  in  faith,  were  baptized  into  the  death 
of  the  Lord.  His  last  prayer  was,  that  they  might  be  preserved  until 
the  day  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  was  born  December  2Qth,  1716, 
and  fell  asleep  in  the  Lord,  February  23,  1745." 


sent  to  visit  and  advise  with  them.  They  fre- 
quently went  to  Bethlehem  where  they  were  always 
received  with  great  cordiality  and  friendship,  and 
sometimes  they  spent  several  weeks  there  in  large 
companies. 

But  the  persecutions  of  their  enemies  did  not 
cease,  and  sometimes  they  were  even  cruelly 
treated ;  nor  can  it  be  denied,  says  Loskiel,  that 
some  occasion  was  given  by  the  inconsiderate 
zeal  of  the  awakened  Indians,  who,  often  boldly 
reproved  the  white  people  for  their  sinful  way  of 
Kfe,  and  when  interrogated,  spoke  the  truth  with- 
out reserve  or  caution. 

At  length  the  continued  aspersions  of  the  absent 
missionaries,  who  were  accused  of  an  intention  to 
reduce  the   behevers  to  a  state  of  slavery,  had  its 
effect  upon  their  persecuted  and  disheartened  flock- 
Some  not  only  departed  from  the  faith,  but  returned 
to  their  sinful  practices  ;  division  and  much  slander 
was  occasioned,  which  ended  at  last  in  confusion 
and  rhisery.     The  Moravians  resolved  on  an  effort 
to  remove  them  from  Shekomeko  and  near  to  Beth- 
lehem, where  they  might  enjoy  perfect   Uberty  of 
conscience,  and  be  less  exposed  to  the  seductions 
of  the  white  people.     Wajomick,  (Wyoming,)  from 
which  the  Shawanese  had  then  mostly   removed 
to  the  Ohio,  was   regarded  an   eligible   location, 
and  in   May,  an    embassy,  consisting  of  Bishop 
Spangenberg,    Conrad    Weiser,    David    Zeisber- 
ger  and   Shabash,  set   out   for  Onondaga  to  gain 
the  consent  of  the  Iroquois,  to  whom  the  country 
belonged,  or  by  whom  it  was  claimed,  to  its  occu- 
pancy.    But  now  an  unforseen  difficulty  arose ;  for 
after  the  consent  of  the  Iroquois  was  obtained,  the 
Indians   at   Shekomeko   refused  to  accede  to  the 
proposition.     They  alleged  as  a  reason  that  as  the 
Governor  of  New  York  had  particularly  commanded 
them  to  stay  in  their  own  town,  and  promised  them 
protection,  they  could  not,  therefore,  remove  with- 
out giving  new  cause  for  suspicion,  and  encourag- 
ing  a  new  persecution  against  the  missionaries ; 
and  further,  if  they   emigrated,  their   unbaptized 
friends  and  relations  would  yet  remain   there   and 
enter  upon  their  old  sinful  courses,  which  would 
grieve   them   exceedingly.     An   event  soon  tran- 
spired, however,  which   compelled  their  removal ; 
for  the  white  people  drove  them  from  Shekomeko 
by  force,  under  pretense  that  the   ground  upon 
which  the  town  was  built  belonged  to  other  people, 
who  would  soon   come  and  take  possesion,*  and 

*  The  site  of  Shekomeko  was  included  in  the  Little  Nine  Partners 
Tract,  which  was  granted  to  Sampson  Houghton  and  eight  others,  April 
JO,  1706.  A  map  of  the  tract  was  made  in  1744,  by  Charles  Clinton,  and 
ip  1769  lot  12,  embracing  this  site  was  sold  to  James  Winans,  by  the 
partners. 


FINAL  EXTINGUISHMENT  OF  THE  MISSIONS. 


37 


even  appointed  a  watch  to  prevent  all  visits  from 
Bethlehem.*  They  applied  in  vairl  to  the  Governor 
for  help. 

It  was  further  reported  that  a  thousand  French 
troops  were  on  their  march  to  the  province,  and 
that  the  Indians  at  Shekomeko,  would  join  them 
and  ravage  the  country  with  fire  and  sword.  The 
rumor  spread  terror,  particularly  at  Rhinebeck,  so 
that  the  inhabitants  demanded  a  warrant  of  the 
justice  to  kill  all  the  Indians  at  Shekomeko.  The 
warrant  was  not  granted ;  but  the  fact  that  it  was 
demanded  was  soon  known  to  the  Indians,  some 
of  whom,  notwithstanding  their  great  attachment  to 
Shekomeko,  were  constrained  to  accept  the  invita- 
tion of  the  brethren  at  Bethlehem.  In  April,  there- 
fore, ten  families,  comprising  forty-four  persons, 
left  Shekomeko,  "with  sorrow  and  tears,"  for  Beth- 
lehem, where  they  were  received  "  with  tenderness 
and  compassion."  They  were  established  tem- 
porarily adjacent  to  Bethlehem,  in  a  village  called 
Friedenshuetten,  or  "  Tents  of  Peace ;"  and  sub- 
sequently removed  to  a  tract  of  two  hundred 
acres,  at  the  junction  of  the  rivers  Mahony  and 
Lecha,  (Lehigh)  beyond  the  Blue  Mountains, 
about  thirty  miles  from  Bethlehem,  and  the  same 
distance  from  Wyoming  —  (near  where  Mauch 
Chunk  now  stands).  This  village  was  called 
Gnadenhuetten,  or  "  Tents  of  Grace ;"  and  many 
other  Indians  from  Shekomeko  and  Pachgatgoch 
soon  joined  them~there.  Others  who  still  remained 
joined  the  army  at  the  call  of  the  English  to  help 
repel  the  French  Indians,  who  had  penetrated  to 
within  a  day's  journey  of  Shekomeko. 

July  24,  1746,  the  missionaries  Hagen  and  Post 
were  sent  from  Bethlehem  to  Shekomeko  and  held 
a  love-feast  with  the  remaining  baptized  Indians. 
They  then,  by  a  written  deed  of  gift,  secured  the 
chapel  to  them  as  their  property,  and  thus,  with 
sorrowful  hearts,  concluded  their  labors  at  this 
place,  where,  within  the  space  of  two  years,  sixty- 
one  adults  had  been  baptized,  exclusive  of  those 
baptized  in  Bethlehem.  The  converted  Indians 
were  now  dispersed  in  different  places,  at  a  con- 
siderable distance  from  each  other,  viz :  in  Gna- 
denhuetten, Bethlehem,  Pachgatgoch,  Wechquad- 
nach  and  Shekomeko;  some,  notwithstanding  the 
war  and  other  troubles  still  remaining  at  the  latter 
place,  to  which  they  were  so  much  attached,  though 
their  misery  daily  increased.  The  brethren  from 
Bethlehem  and  Gnadenhuetten  frequently  visited 
Pachgatgoch  and  Wechquadnach,  to  prevent  the 
entire  extinguishment  of  the  spark  of  truth  which 

*Loskul,  Part  II. ,  Chap.  K,  80. 


yet  glimmered  there ;  and  the  missionary  Frederick 
Post  staid  some  time  in  Pachgatgoch,  living  in  the 
Indian  manner,  preaching  the  gospel,  and  work- 
ing at  his  trade  as  a  joiner.  In  1747-48,  Shekome- 
ko was  also  variously- visited  in  conjunction  with 
those  places ;  and  in  December  of  the  latter  year 
all  three  places  were  visited  by  Bishops  Johannes 
von  Watteville  and  Frederick  Cammerhoff,  in  com- 
pany with  Nathan  Seidel,  a  minister  of  the  society, 
their  chief  object  being  "  to  look  after  the  lost 
sheep."  At  Shekomeko  they  found  everything  de- 
stroyed, except  the  burying  ground ;  but  in  March' 
following,  these  places  were  again  visited  by  Bishop 
Cammerhoff  and  Gottlieb  Bezold,  "  to  strengthen 
the  believers,  and  to  administer  the  sacraments  to 
them."  Twenty  Indians  were  then  added  to  the 
church  by  baptism.  In  January  of  this  year,  1 749, 
the  missionary  David  Bruce  was  appointed  to  the 
care  of  the  Christian  Indians  in  Pachgatgoch  and 
Wechquadnach,  and  remained  till  his  death  which 
occurred  July  9th  of  the  same  year.  "  Since  the 
before-mentioned  visit,"  says  Loskiel,  these  Indians 
"  had  again  formed  a  regular  settlement,"  the  lat- 
ter, this  time,  apparently,  on  the  east  border  of  In- 
dian Pond,  in  the  town  of  Sharon,  Connecticut. 
Bruce  lived  chiefly  at  Wechquadnach,  in  a  house 
belonging  to  the  brethren,  called  Gnadensee.  He 
sometimes  resided  at  Pachgatgoch,  whence  he  paid 
visits  to  Westenhuck,  "  by  invitation  of  the  head- 
chief  of  the  Mahican  nation,  sowing  the  seed 
of  the  gospel  wherever  he  came."  His  funeral 
was  conducted  with  appropriate  ceremonies,  and 
one  of  the  assistants  "  delivered  a  powerful  dis- 
course upon  the  solemn  occasion."  His  suc- 
cessor was  Abraham  Bueninger,  who,  "  at  leisure 
hours,  was  very  diligent  in  instructing  the  children." 
In  the  spring  of  1753,  "the  small  congregation  of 
Indians  settled  at  Wechquadnach  were  driven  away 
by  their  neighbors,  and  some  retired  to  Wajonick. 
Thirty-four  of  these  people,  having  given  satisfac- 
tory proofs  of  their  sincerity,  obtained  leave  to  re- 
move to  Gnadenhuetten."  In  1755,  the  missionary. 
Christian  Seidel,  twice  visited  Pachgatgoch,  bap- 
tized several  Indians,  and  administered  the  Lord's 
supper  to  the  communicants.  He  passed  "  through 
Oblong,  Salisbury,  Shekomeko,  and  Reinbeck, 
where  his  animated  testimony  of  the  gospel  was 
well  received  by  many."  "  The  congregation  at 
Pachgatgoch,  whose  situation,"  says  Loskiel,  "  was 
very  distressing  in  the  year  1762,  was  still  more 
oppressed  during  the  war,  and  at  length  so  much 
dispersed,  that  nothing  remained  but  the  hopes 
that  they  might  unite  again  in  time  of  peace."   This 


38 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


is  the  last  account  Loskiel  gives  us  of  these  inter- 
esting missions,  whose  last  flickering  light  seems 
now  to  have  been  extinguished.  The  subsequent 
history  of  those  who  removed  hence  to  Pennsyl- 
vania was  not  less  ch'eckered  than  we  have  seen  it 
to  have  been  here,  but  we  have  not  the  space  to 
follow  it.  It  was,  for  the  most  part,  a  sickening 
succession  of  injustice,  outrage  and  oppression, 
such  as  has  characterized  the  subsequent  treatment 
'  of  the  unfortunate  red  man  by  his  white  neighbors, 
relieved  by  only  an  occasional  ray  of  light  flashing 
athwart  their  retreating  horizon,  through  the  singu- 
lar fidelity  of  the  devoted  missionaries  who  first 
taught  them  to  look  to  a  future  life  for  that  happi- 
ness which  was  denied  them  in  this. 

In  1753,  immediately  after  the  dispersion  of  the 
Indians  at  Wechquadnach,  Abraham  Reinke,  an 
ordained  clergyman,  was  sent  by  the  Moravians, 
in  response  to  a  request  of  the  inhabitants,  and 
established  a  Moravian  congregation  of  white  per- 
sons on  the  western  side  of  Indian  Pond,  in  the 
town  of  North  East,  on  the  present  farm  of  Mr. 
Douglass  Clarke  (i  858).  The  meeting-house  stood 
here  till  within  a  few  years ;  and  in  an  adjoining 
burying-ground  is  the  grave  of  the  Rev.  Joseph 
Powell,  the  Moravian  missionary  of  that  name,  and 
one  of  the  last  to  minister  here  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Moravian  society.  His  labors  here  were 
brief,  commencing  in  the  spring  and  ending  in  the 
autumn  of  1 7  7  4.  As  appears  from  the  stone  which 
stands  at  his  grave,  he  died  in  1774,  aged  skty- 
three  years. 

For  a  full  century  the  veil  of  obscurity  was  drawn 
over  the  scenes  and  events  we  have  narrated,  and 
all  knowledge  of  them  was  almost  obliterated  from 
the  minds  of  the  present  generation.  For  a  cen- 
tury the  remains  of  the  faithful  and^  gentle  Biittner 
enjoyed  that  serene  quiet  and  rest  which  were  so 
foreign  to  the  closing  years  of  his  laborious  life  ; 
and  but  for  the  stone  which  marked  his  last  resting- 
place,  it  is  probable  that  his  deeds,  in  this  connec- 
tion, would  never  again  have  been  revived  in  this 
locality.  That  stone,  "  which,"  says  Mr.  Lossing, 
the  historian,  "  was  a  heavy  mass  of  gray  carbonate 
of  lime,  smoothed  on  one  side  for  the  inscription, 
which  is  in  the  thin  Latin  characters  which  are  met 
with  in  the  printing  of  the  last  century,"  was,  in  the 
lapse  of  time,  broken  into  fragments,  and  only  a 
small  portion,  containing  the  central  part  of  the 
inscription,  preserved ;  but  it  was  sufficient,  with 
th^,  aid  of  the  records  of  the  society  in  Bethlehem, 
to  certainly  identify  it,  and  connect  it  with  this  mis- 
sion.    In   1855,  that  fragment  which  some  sup- 


posed to  be  the  monument  of  an  Indian  chief, 
was  deposited  in  the  museum  of  the  Poughkeepsie 
Lyceum,  and  by  that  society  generously  presented 
to  the  Moravian  Historical  Society  at  Nazareth, 
Pennsylvania,  who  now  have  it  in  their  posses- 
sion.* • 

The  results  of  the  researches  of  Rev.  Mr.  Davis, 
as  pubHshed  in  his  Shekomeko,  came  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Moravian  pubKc,  and  were  of  so  satis- 
factory, a  nature  as  to  suggest  the  propriety  of 
visiting  the  scenes  to  which  they  referred ;  and  it 
was  thought  that,  with  the  aid  of  records  and  docu- 
ments known  to  exist  in  the  archives  of  the  church 
at  Bethlehem,  Mr.  Davis'  discoveries  might  be 
confirmed,  new  clues  obtained,  and  the  identity  of 
the  old  stations  established  beyond  a  doubt.  Ac- 
cordingly, in  June,  1859,  a  party  of  gentlemen, 
members  of  the  Moravian  Historical  Society, 
visited  the  locaUties  of  Shekomeko  and  Wechquad- 
nach, under  the  guidance  of  Messrs.  Lossing  and 
Davis,  whose  interest  and  aid  were  readily  enlisted  in 
an  enterprise  of  so  much  interest  to  this  county. 
Arriving  at  Mr.  Edward  Huntings,  the  party 
were  joined,  in  addition  to  Mr.  Hunting's  family, 
by  other  residents  of  the  county.  "A  slight  de- 
pression in  the  soil,  and  the  protruding  edge  of  the 
heavy  limestone,"  says  the  account  of  this  visit, 
pubhshed  in  The  Moravian  of  July  21st  and  28th, 
were  all  that  marked  the  grave  of  Biittner ;  which 
was  discovered  in  1854,  by  Messrs.  Davis  and 
Hunting,  with  the  aid  of  Mr.  Josiah  Winans,  (a 
son  of  Gerardus  Winans,  who  succeeded  his  father, 
James  Winans,  as  proprietor  of  the  farm,  on  the 
death  of  the  latter  in  1795,)  who  was  the  only  per- 
son living  from  whom  any  reliable  information* 
could  be  obtained  in  reference  to  it.  By  means  of 
a  sketch  of  Shekomeko,  made  in  1745,  which  the 
visitors  brought  with  them,  they  were  not  only  able 
to  identify  the  locality  of  the  grave,  but  also  of  the 
Indian  village,  the  huts  of  which — seventeen  in 
number — were  arranged  in  the  form  of  a  crescent 
around  the  little  bark-covered  church,  only  some 
eighteen  feet  from  the  missionary's  grave.  The 
following  day  the  party  proceeded  to  the  site  of 
Wechquadnach,  where  the  missionaries,  David 
Bruce  and  Joseph  Powell,  are  buried.  Of  the 
Wechquadnach  mission  house,  says  the  account 
before  quoted,  there  is  no  trace;  but  Douglass 
Clarke,  on  whose  farm  it  was  located,  pointed  to 
where  it  stood  within  his  recollection.  (He  was 
then — 1859 — "  a  venerable  man  of  eighty-three.") 
Tradition  has  preserved  nothing  of  the  site  of  the 

»  The  Dutcktss  Farmer-,  l\a.y  ^■,1i^S.        ■         •■  — 


THE  SHEKOMEKO  AND  WECHQUADNACH  MONUMENTS. 


■39 


Indian  village.  As  the  missionaries,  in  writing 
of  Wechquadnach,  never  distinctly  allude  to  one, 
"there  is  room  for  the  presumption  that  the 
dwellings  of  the  Indians  were  scattered  along 
the  western  shore  of  the  lake,  inasmuch  as  the 
nature  of  the  ground  is  such  as  would  have  led 
them  to  select  it  for  planting  purposes.''  Bruce 
was  carried  across  the  "Gnaden  See''  (Indian 
Pond)  on  two  canoes,  and  buried  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Pond.  From  Wechquadnach  the  party  pro- 
ceeded to  the  site  of  Pacligatgoch,  two  miles  south- 
west of  Kent. 

July  IT,  1859,  the  Moravian  Historical  Society 
resolved  to  erect  monuments  over  the  grave  of 
Buttner,  and  near  the  graves  of  Bruce  and  Powell. 
A  numerous  committee  of  which  Messrs.  Davis,  of 
Pleasant  Valley,  Lossing,  then  of  Poughkeepsie, 
and  Edward  Hunting  and  Theron  Wilber,  of  Pine 
Plains,. were  members,  was  appointed  to  collect  the 
requisite  funds  and  superintend  their  erection. 
October  sth  and  6th,  was  the  time  designated  for 
the  dedication  of  the  monuments.  The  details  of  the 
work  naturally  fell  to  the  share  of  the  local  mem- 
bers of  the  committee.  The  monuments  were 
fashioned  by  Messrs.  Miller  &  Co.,  of  Poughkeep- 
sie ;  and  Messrs.  Davis  and  Lossing  cheerfully  un- 
dertook to  select  the  material,  and  to  superintend 
the  lettering  of  the  inscriptions.  Two  obelisks  of 
the  finest  Italian  marble  were  contracted  for  at 
$260,  (including  transportation  and  necessary  ma- 
sonry,) to  which  was  added  $16.41  incurred  for 
lettering. 

The  monuments  were  thus  described  by  Mr. 
Lossing,  in  a  letter  to  members  of  the  committee 
August  sth,  1859:— 

"  Shekomeko  Stone. — Pedestal,  29  inches  square; 
1 2  inches  high ;  of  Connecticut  sandstone.  Weigh- 
ing 700  lbs.  Base,  23  inches  square;  12  inches 
high ;  with  moulding  above  2\  inches  high.  Weigh- 
ing 500  lbs.  Shaft,  18  inches  by  15^  below;  17 
inches  by  14^  above ;  4  feet  5  inches  high.  Weigh- 
ing 1,400  lbs.  Entire  height,  6  feet  6^  inches. 
Entire  weight  2,600  lbs." 

^^Wechquadnach  Stone. — Pedestal,  29  inches 
square ;  1 2  inches  high ;  of  Connecticut  sandstone. 
Weighing  700  lbs.  Base,  23  inches  square;  11 
inches  high;  with  moulding  above  2\  inches  high. 
Weighing  500  lbs.  Shaft  18  inches  by  15^  below; 
I  o  inches  by  8  above ;  6  feet  high.  Weighing  1,400 
lbs.  Entire  height,  8  feet  ■i\  inches.  Entire 
weight,  2,600  lbs." 

The  following  are  the  inscriptions  on  the  Sheko- 
meko monument: — 


[North  Side.J 

Shekomeko   Mis.sion, 
Commenced  August  16,  1740, 

BY 

Christian  Henry  Rauch, 

Erected  by  the 

Moravian  Historical  Society, 

October  5,  1859. 

[South  Side.] 

In  Memory  of 

the  Mohican  Indians, 

Lazara, 

Baptized  Dec.  i,  1742.     Died  Dec.  5,  1742. 

and 

Daniel, 

Baptized  Dec.  26^  1742.     Died  March  20, 1744. 

Upon  the  west  side  is  the  German  inscription 
which  appeared  on  the  original  tombstone  of  Biitt- 
ner;  and  upon  the  east  side,  the  English  transla- 
tion of  the  same. 

The  inscriptions  upon  the  Wechquadnach  monu- 
ment are  as  follows : — 

[North  Side.J 

Joseph  Powell, 

A  Minister  of  the  Gospel 

IN  the 

Church  of  the  United  Brethren, 

BORNj  1 7 10, 

NEAR  WhITECHURCH,    SHROPSHIRE,  ENGLAND, 

DIED,  Sept.  23,  1774, 

AT  SiCHEM  IN  THE  ObLONG, 

Duchess  Co.,  N.  Y. 

[South  Side.J 

David  Bruce, 

A  Minister  of  the  Gospel 

IN  the 

Church  of  the  United  Brethren, 

from 

Edinburgh,  Scotland, 

DIED  July  9,  1749, 

at  the 

Wechquadnach  Mission, 

Duchess  Co.,  N.  Y. 

[East  Side.] 

"  How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains 
Are  the  feet  of  him  that  bringeth 
Good  tidings,  that  publisheth  peace  ; 
That  bringeth  good  tidings  of  good  ; 
That  publisheth  salvation." — Isaiah  Hi,  7. 

[West  Side.] 

Erected  by  the 

Moravian  Historical  Society, 

October  6,  1859. 

October  4,  1859,  a  delegation  of  Moravians  from 
Bethlehem,  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  arrived  at 
Pine  Plains,  and  on  the  evening  of  that  day  held  in- 


40 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


troductory  services  in  the  Bethel,  a  union  church  in 
the  valley  of  the  Shekomeko.  The  two  succeeding 
days,  the  5th  and  6th,  first  the  Shekomeko,  and 
next  the  Wechquadnach  monuments,  were  dedi- 
cated with  solemn  and  imposing  ceremonies,  con- 
ducted according  to  the  Moravian  ritual. 

The  Shekomeko  monument  marks  the  grave  of 
Biittner  J  that  at  Wechquadnach  stands  on  a  rocky 
ledge  on  the  east  shore  of  and  overlooking  the 
beautiful  "  Gnaden  See,"  or  "  Lake  of  Grace,"  and 
the  entire  region  of  country  in  which  the  Mora- 
vians, whose  labors  it  commemorates,  carried  on 
their  missionary  work.  The  grave  of  Bruce,  near 
which  the  latter  stands,  is  on  the  east,  and  that  of 
Powell,  which  is  still  marked  by  the  stone  originally 
erected  to  his  memory,  on  the  west  side  of  this 
sheet  of  water. 

The  services  consisted  of  those  portions  of  the 
Moravian  ritual  that  relate  to  death  and  the  res- 
urrection ;  the  litanies  used  at  burials,  which  were 
.deemed  peculiarly  appropriate,  inasmuch  as  the 
remains  of  the  missionaries  were  committed  to  the 
grave  without  the  performance  of  those  cherished 
rites ;  the  Easter  morning  litany,  which  is  observed 
yearly  in  Moravian  burying-grounds ;  the  choral 
music  of  trombonists,  a  characteristic  element  of 
Moravian  obsequies ;  and  historical  and  doctrinal 
discourses. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


Hudson's  Discovkry  and  Exploration  of  the 
North  River — His  Intercourse  with  the  Na- 
tives—Diverse Claims  of  the  English,  French 
AND  Dutch — Character  of  the  Dutch  Col- 
onists OF  New  Netherlands— Early  Dutch 
Enterprises  in  the  Valley  of  the  Hudson — 
The  United  New  Netherland  Company — The 
Dutch  West  India  Company — Dutch  Colo- 
nization —  Its  Pernicious  Features  —  The 
Harsh  Measures  of  Director  Kieft — Dep- 
redations of  the  Wappingers^ — The  Esopus 
Wars — The  Destruction  of  Wiltwyck — Ex- 
pedition TO  Red  Hook  during  the  Second 
Esopus  War — Friendly  offices  of  Wappin- 
gers — Indian  Treaty  of  1664— Its  Efficacy 
— Supersedure  of  the  Dutch  by  the  English. 

ON  the  4th  of  April,  1609,  Henry  Hudson,  an 
intrepid  English  navigator,  and  the  friend 
of  ©aptain  John  Smith,  having  failed  in  two  attempts 
to  discover  a.  western  passage  to  the  East  Indies, 
in  the  interest  of  a  company  of  London  merchants, 


sailed  from  xlmsterdam  with  a  mixed  crew  of  some 
twenty  Dutch  and  English  sailors,  in  the  employ  of 
the  Dutch  East  India  Company  of  Holland, 
formed  the  previous  year  for  traffic  and  coloniza- 
tion. He  arrived  on  the  American  coast  near 
Portland,  Maine,  whence  he  proceeded  south  along 
the  coast  to  the  entrance  of  Chesapeake  Bay. 
From  thence  he  proceeded  northward,  discovered 
and  entered  Delaware  Bay,  and  on  the  3d  of  Sep- 
tember moored  his  vessel,  the  Half  Moon  (^Halve 
Maene,)  a  mere  yacht  of  about  eighty  tons  burden, 
within  Sandy  Hook.  On  the  fourth  he  proceeded 
up  the  bay  to  a  very  good  harbor  near  the  Jersey 
shore ;  and  here  he  received  on  board  the  natives, 
who  came  in  great  numbers  to  traffic  for  knives 
and  beads.  On  the  fifth  Hudson  returned  the 
visit  of  the  natives,  who  welcomed  him  by  singing 
and  dancing.  "  Men,  women  and  children  were 
feather-mantled,  or  clad  in  loose  furs."  "Some had 
pipes  of  red  copper,  with  earthen  bowls,  and  cop- 
per ornaments  round  their  necks."  "  They  were 
friendly,  but  thievish,  and  crafty  in  carrying  away 
what  they  fancied."  On  the  sixth,  five  of  the  crew 
were  sent  in  a  boat  to  examine  the  channel.  They 
sounded  the  Narrows  and  proceeded  to  Newark 
Bay ;  but  on  the  return,  for  some  unexplained  rea- 
son, were  attacked  by  the  natives  in  two  canoes, 
and  John  Colman,  an  Englishman,  who  had  ac- 
companied Hudson  in  his  Polar  explorations,  was 
killed  by  an  arrow  shot  in  his  throat,  and  two  of 
his  companions  wounded.  Colman  was  buried  at 
Sandy  Hook,  and  Colman's  Point,  where  his  re- 
mains were  interred,  perpetuates  the  memory  of 
this  first  European  victim  of  the  natives  in  these 
waters.* 

During  the  three  succeeding  days  Hudson  con- 
tinued to  receive  the  visits  of  the  natives,  some  of 
whom  came  armed,  though  he  took  tJie  precaution 
to  allow  only  two  of  the  latter  to  board  the  vessel, 
and  those  he  detained  and  dressed  them  in  red 
coats.  Soon  after  two  others  came  to  the  vessel, 
and  one  of  these  he  also  detained,  but  he  escaped 
by  jumping  overboard  and  swimming  to  the  shore. 

On  the  ninth  Hudson  moved  cautiously  through 
the  Narrows,  and  on  the  eleventh  reached  New 
York  harbor,  "  where  he  rode  all  night."  On  the 
morning  of  the  twelfth  he  commenced  the  memor- 
able voyage  up  the  river  which  bears  his  name. 
Owing  to  the  lightness  of  the  wind  he  could  pro- 
ceed only  a  very  few  leagues.  The  moment  he 
anchored,  the  native  men,  women  and  children 
renewed  their  visits  in  increased  numbers,  bringing 

*  History  of  New  Netherland,  /,,  36. 


HUDSON'S  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  NORTH  RIVER. 


41 


beans  and  very  good  oysters;  but  none  were 
allowed  on  board.  On  the  thirteenth,  with  the  aid 
of  the  flood  tides,  he  reached  a  point  just  above 
Yonkers.  On  the  fourteenth,  a  strong  south-east 
wind  carried  him  rapidly  into  the  Highlands, 
"  through  the  majestic  pass  guarded  by  the  frown- 
ing Donderberg."  He  anchored  at  night  near 
West  Point,  amidst  the  most  sublime  scenery  of 
the  mountains,  whose  summits  were  concealed 
when  he  awoke  the  next  morning  by  a  heavy  mist 
which  hung  over  the  river  and  adjacent  country. 
Here  the  two  natives  whom  he  held  as  hostages 
escaped  through  the  port-holes  of  the  vessel  and 
swam  to  the  shore,  where  they  expressed  their  in- 
dignation at  the  treatment  to  which  they  had  been 
subjected  by  uttering  loud  cries  of  scorn  and 
anger. 

The  mist  soon  cleared  and  he  proceeded  up  the 
river,  anchoring  at  night  a  little  below  Red  Hook, 
within  the  shadow  of  the  majestic  CatskiUs.  Here 
he  found  "  very  loving  people  and  very  old  men," 
by  whom  he  "was  well  usedj"  and  here  also  he 
"  caught  a  great  store  of  very  good  fish.''  Most 
of  the  sixteenth  was  spent  in  taking  fresh  water. 
He  did  not  weigh  anchor  until  night,  and  then 
proceeded  only  two  leagues,  when  shoal  water 
compelled  him  to  lay  at  anchor  till  morning.  On 
the  thorning  of  the  sixteenth  the  natives  brought 
Indian  corn,  pumpkins  (pompions)  and  tobacco, 
which  they  exchanged  for  "  trifles." 

On  the  evening  of  the  seventeenth,  having  twice 
grounded  on  shoals  during  the  day,  he  reached  a 
point  just  above  the  site  of  Hudson  (latitude  42° 
.18'.*)  On  the  eighteenth  he  rode  at  anchor;  and 
in  the  afternoon  the  "  master's  mate  f  went  on  land 
with  an  old  savage,  a  governor  of  the  country,  who 
carried  him  to  his  house  and  made  him  good  cheer." 
"He  was,"  says  O'Callaghan, "  chief  over  forty  men 
and  seventeen  women,"  and  says  Bancroft,  occu- 
pied "a  house  well  constructed  of  oak  bark,  circular 
in  shape,  and  arched  in  the  roof."  "  Here,"  adds 
O'Callaghan,  "  he  found  large  quantities  of  Indian 
corn  and  beans,  -  sufficient  to  load  three  ships, 
besides  what  were  still  growing  in  the  fields." 

At  flood  tide  on  the  nineteenth,  about  eleven 
o'clock,  Hudson  weighed  anchor  and  proceeded 
"two  leagues  above  the  _shoals,"  anchoring  in 
eight  fathoms  of  water.  Here  too,  the  natives 
flocked  aboard,   bringing   grapes,  pumpkins  and 

*  Bancroft's  History  of  the  Unitid  States,  II..,  r%.  O'Callaghan, 
{History  of  New  Neiherland,  I.,  J7,)  fixes  this  location  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  present  town  of  Castleton. 

t  Robert  Ivet's  account,  Transactions  New  York  Historical  Society. 
Bancroft  and  O'Callaghan  both  say  it  was  Hudson  himself. 


beaver  and  otter  skins,  which  they  exchanged  for 
beads,  knives,  hatchets  and  other  trifles.  He  now, 
says  Bancroft,  "  drew  near  the  landing  of  Kinder- 
hook,"  and  ventured  no  higher  with  the  yacht ;  but 
sent  the  master's  mate  with  four  men  to  take 
soundings  of  the  river.  Two  leagues  above  they 
found  but  two  fathoms  of  water,  and  the  channel 
very  narrow;  but  above  that,  seven  or  eight  fath- 
oms.    They  returned  towards  night. 

On  the  twenty-first  Hudson  purposed  exploring 
the  river  higher  up,  but  was  deterred  because 
"  much  people  resorted  aboard."  He  determined, 
however,  "to  try  some  of  the  chief  men  of  the 
country,  whether  they  had  any  treachery  in  them. 
So  he  took  them  down  into  the  cabin  and  gave 
them  so  much  wine  and  aqua  vitas  that  they  were 
all  merry,"  and  "in  the  end  one  of  them  was 
drunk."  His  companions  were  filled  with  astonish- 
ment, and  "  could  not  tell  how  to  take  it.''  They 
left  in  their  canoes  for  the  shore ;  but  some  of 
them  returned  again,  bringing  "  stropes  of  beades," 
which  they  gave  to  their  stupefied  companion,  who 
slept  quietly  all  night  on  the  vessel.  He  had  re- 
covered when  his  friends  came  to  see  him  at  noon 
the  next  day,  and  so  rejoiced  were  they  that  in 
the  afternoon  they  visited  the  boat  in  great  num- 
bers, bringing  with  them  tobacco  and  beads,  which 
they  presented  to  Hudson,  to  whom  they  "  made 
an  oration,  and  showed  him  all  the  country  round 
about."  One  of  their  number  was  sent  ashore, 
and  soon  returned  with  a  great  platter  of  dressed 
venison,  which  they  caused  Hudson  to  eat  with 
them.  They  then  made  him  reverence  and  de- 
parted, all  save  the  old  man,  who,  having  tasted 
the  fatal  beverage,  preferred  to  remain  aboard. 

Heckewelder  has  preserved  the  pathetic  Dela- 
ware tradition  of  this  first  debasing  acquaintance 
with  the  Europeans,  whom  the  natives  first  regarded 
with  a  superstitious  fear,  believing  Hudson  to  be 
none  other  than  iht  great manitou.  After  describ- 
ing the  consternation  of  the  natives  when  they 
first  discovered  the  strange  apparition  of  a  house 
upon  the  waters  and  the  preparations  made  to  give 
the  supposed  manitou  the  most  fitting  welcome 
their  savage  natures  could  devise,  he  says : — 

"  Meanwhile,  a  large  Hackhack*  is  brought  by 
one  of  his  [Hudson's]  servants,  from  which  an 
unknown  substance  is  poured  out  into  a  small  cup 
or  glass,  and  handed  to  the  supposed  Mannitto.  He 
drinks — has  the  glass  filled  again,  and  hands  it  to 
the  chief  standing  next  to  him.  "The  chief  receives 
it,  but  only  smells  the  contents  and  passes  it  on  to 
the  next  chief,  who  does  the  same.     The  glass  or 

*  Meaning  a  gourd. 


42 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


cup  thus  passes  through  the  circle,  without  the 
liquor  being  tasted  by  any  one,  and  is  upon  the 
point  of  being  returned  to  the  red-clothed  Man- 
nitto,  when  one  of  the  Indians,  a  brave  man  and 
a  great  warrior,  suddenly  jumps  up  and  harangues 
the  assembly  on  the  impropriety  of  returning  the 
cup  with  its  contents.  It  was  handed  to  them, 
says  he,  by  the  Mannitto,  that  they  should  drink 
out  of  it  as  he  himself  had  done.  To  follow  his 
example  would  be  pleasing  to  him ;  but  to  return 
what  he  had  given  them  might  provoke  his  wrath, 
and  bring  destruction  on  them.  And  since  the 
orator  believed  it  for  the  good  of  the  nation  that 
the  contents  offered  them  should  be  drunk,  and  as 
no  one  else  would  do  it,  he  would  drink  it  himself, 
let  the  consequence  be  what  it  might ;  it  was 
better  for  one  man  to  die,  than  that  a  whole  nation 
should  be  destroyed.  He  then  took  the  glass,  and 
bidding  the  assembly  a  solemn  farewell,  at  once 
drank  up  its  whole  contents.  Every  eye  was  fixed 
on  the  resolute  chief,  to  see  what  effect  the  un- 
known liquor  would  produce.  He  soon  began  to 
stagger,  and  at  last  fell  prostrate  on  the  ground. 
His  companions  now  bemoan  his  fate,  he  falls  into 
a  sound  sleep,  and  they  think  he  has  expired.  He 
wakes  again,  jumps  up  and  declares  that  he  has 
enjoyed  the  most  delicious  sensations,  and  that  he 
never  before  felt  so  happy  as  after  he  had  drunk 
the  cup.  He  asks  for  more,  his  wish  is  granted ; 
the  whole  assembly  then  imitate  him,  and  all  be- 
come intoxicated."* 

Alas,  this  was  but  the  sad  prelude  to  a  sadder 
sequel ! 

On  the  twenty-second  Hudson  sent  five  of  the 
crew  to  sound  the  river  higher  up.  They  proceeded 
"  eight  or  nine  leagues,  and  found  but  seven  foot 
of  water,  and  inconstant  soundings."  Hudson 
was  now  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  he  had 
reached  the  head  of  navigation,  and  he  regretfully 
retraced  his  steps  on  the  twenty-third,  making  two 
leagues  that  day  and  "  seven  or  eight,"  the  twenty- 
fourth,  each  day  grounding  on  shoals,  and  the  latter 
day  going  ashore,  where  they  "  gathered  a  good 
store  of  chestnuts."  On  the  twenty-fifth  and  twenty- 
sixth  he  rode  at  anchor,  because  of  adverse  winds. 
On  the  morning  of  the  twenty-sixth  "  two  canoes 
came  up  the  river  from  the  place  where  we  first 
found  loving  people,"  and  in  one  of  them  was  the 
old  chief  who  was  the  subject  of  the  strange  ex- 
periment with  aqua  vitae.  He  brought  with  him 
another  old  man,  who  presented  Hudson  with 
"  more  stropes  of  beades,"  "  and  showed  him  all 
the  country  there  about,  as  though  it  were  at  his 
command."  Hudson  dined  with  them  and  their 
wives,  and  "  two  young  maidens  of  the  age  sixteen 
or  seventeen  years,"  who  also  accompanied  them 

*  Historical  Account  of  the  Indian  Nations  in  Transactions  of  the 
Historical  and  Literary  Committee  of  the  American  Philosophical 
Society.,  Philadelphia,  /.,  $5,  57.    See  also  Doc.  Hist.  II.,  598,  599. 


to  the  vessel,  and  "  behaved  themselves  very  mod- 
estly." To  one  of  the  men  Hudson  gave  a  knife, 
and  received  in  return  tobacco.  On  the  twenty- 
seventh  he  was  grounded  on  a  shoal  "  from  half 
ebb  to  half  flood  "  tide,  but  made  six  leagues.  The 
old  chief  who  had  acquired  such  a  relish  for 
Hudson's  "  good  cheer  "  again  came  on  board  and 
urged  him  to  lie  at  anchor  and  go  ashore  and  eat 
with  him ;  but  the  wind  being  fair  Hudson  would 
not  yield  to  his  request.  He  departed  with  a 
sorrowful  countenance,  but  Hudson  comforted  him 
with  presents  and  the  assurance  that  they  would 
return  the  next  year. 

On  the  zgth,  Hudson  anchored  at  the  lower  end 
of  the  Long  Reach,  which  "is  six  leagues  long." 
Here  natives  who  came  on  board  brought  "  Indian 
wheat."  October  ist,  while  becalmed  off  Stony 
Point,  "the  people  of  the  Mountains  came  aboard 
of  us,  wondering  at  our  ship  and  weapons."  One 
man,  who  persisted  in  "  hanging  under  our  stern,'' 
gained  the  cabin  window  by  means  of  the  rudder,  and 
stole  a  pillow,  two  shirts  and  "  two  bandeleers."  He 
was  detected  by  the  mate,  who  shot  him  in  the 
breast  and  killed  him.  The  others  fled,  some  taking 
to  their  canoes,  others  to  the  water.  A  boat  was 
manned,  and  the  stolen  goods  easily  recovered. 
An  Indian,  who  swam  to  the  boat,  seized  it  with  his 
hand  and  tried  to  upset  it ;  but  the  cook  cut  off 
his  hand  with  a  sword  and  he  was  drowned. 
On  the  second,  at  the  head  of  Manhattan 
Island,  the  vessel  was  approached  by  a  canoe 
containing  one  of  the  natives  who  escaped  from  it 
on  the  voyage  up ;  but  fearing  treachery,  Hudson 
would  not  allow  him  nor  his  companions  on  board. 
Two  other  canoes,  filled  with  armed  warriors,  now 
came  under  the  stern,  and  an  attack  was  made 
with  arrows ;  but  they  were  repulsed  with  a  loss  of 
two  or  three  men.  Over  a  hundred  of  the  natives 
then  took  position  on  a  point  of  land,  but  a  falcon 
shot  killed  two  of  them,  and  the  rest  fled  to  the 
woods.  Another  canoe,  manned  with  nine  or  ten 
warriors,  came  to  meet  them  j  but  a  falcon  shot 
was  sent  through  it  and  one  of  its  occupants  killed. 
Three  or  four  others  were  killed  and  the  rest  dis- 
persed with  musketry.  Hudson  then  dropped  down 
two  leagues,  and  was  free  from  further  danger. 

Such  were  the  events  which  opened  up  to  Eu- 
ropean emigration  the  beautiful  and  fertile  valley 
of  the  Hudson,  and  sowed  the  seeds  of  decay 
among  the  native  tribes,  whose  shattered  fragments 
were  rolled  back  Uke  a  shriveled  scroll  upon  the 
western  nations,  who,  in  their  turn,  are  rapidly  re- 
ceding in  constantly  diminishing  numbers  before 


FIRST  SETTLEMENT  AT  NEW  AMSTERDAM. 


43 


the  onward  march  of  civilization.  Soon  after  the 
intelligence  of  Hudson's  discoveries  were  received 
in  Holland,  in  whose  name  he  took  possession  of 
the  country,  colonization  projects  engaged  the  at- 
tention of  the  company  who  employed  him. 

Little  is  known  of  Hudson's  earlier  life,  except 
that  in  youth  he  received  a  thorough  maritime  edu- 
cation. His  connection  with  the  Dutch  East  India 
Company  ceased  soon  after  his  arrival  in  England 
in  November,  1609;  for  England,  having  become 
jealous  of  the  maritime  enterprises  of  the  Dutch, 
caused  his  detention  in  that  country.  He  re- 
entered the  service  of  the  London  Company,  and 
in  1 6 10  voyaged  in  search  of  a  north-west  passage 
to  India.  He  discovered  and  entered  the  bay 
which  bears  his  name  ;  but  continuing  his  search 
too  long,  was  compelled  to  spend  the  winter  in  the 
northern  latitude.  In  the  spring,  a  part  of  his 
crew  mutinied,  and  placing  him,  his  son  and  seven 
others  in  a  boat,  left  them  to  their  fate.  He  is 
supposed  to  have  perished  in  this  situation,  but  his 
fate  is  a  mystery. 

Three  European  nations  at  this  time  based 
claims  to  a  part  of  the  territory  embraced  in  the 
State  of  New  York ;  England,  by  reason  of  the 
discovery  of  Cabot  and  his  son  Sebastian,  claiming 
a  territory  eleven  degrees  in  width  and  extending 
westward  indefinitely;  France,  by  reason  of  the 
discoveries  of  Verrazani,  claiming  a  portion  of  the 
Atlantic  coast ;  and  Holland,  by  reason  of  the  dis- 
covery of  Hudson,  claiming  the  country  from  Cape 
Cod  to  the  southern  shore  of  Delaware  Bay.  But 
the  Dutch  became  the  actual  possessors  of  the 
country. 

Colonization  in  New  York,  not  less  than  in  New 
England,  was  an  emanation  from  the  Reformation, 
which  emancipated  the  Low  Countries  on  the  one 
hand,  and  was  followed  by  collisions  between 
English  dissenters  and  the  AngUcan  hierarchy  on 
the  other.  "The  Netherlands,"  says  Bancroft, 
"  divide  with  England  the  glory  of  having  planted 
the  first  colonies  in  the  United  States ;  they  also 
divide  the  glory  of  having  set  the  example  of  public 
freedom.  If  England  gave  our  fathers  the  idea  of 
a  popular  representation,  the  United  Provinces 
were  their  model  of  a  federal  union."* 

The  pilgrim  fathers  who  colonized  New  England, 
fleeing  from  religious  persecution  at  home,  found 
refuge  in  Holland,  which  was  then  struggling  to 
throw  off  the  oppressive  yoke  of  Spanish  tyranny, 
and  there  learned  their  first  lesson  in  popular  gov- 
ernment, from  a  people,  who,  from  the  time  of  the 

*  History  e/ the  United  States,  II.,  18. 


universal  sway  of  imperial  Rome,  "  had  been  ani- 
mated by  an  indomitable  spirit  of  civil  Uberty."  "The 
Dutch  Republic,"  says  Brodhead,  "which  for  nearly 
a  century  after  it  first  took  its  place  in  the  rank  of 
independent  nations  continued  to  sway  the  balance 
of  European  politics,  owed  its  proud  position  to 
the  moral  qualities  and  free  spirit  of  the  people  of 
the  Netherlands ;  to  the  constitution  of  their  gov- 
ernment ;  to  their  geographical  position ;  their 
maritime  power ;  their  liberal  commercial  policy ; 
their  spirit  of  universal  toleration  ;  and  to  the  wise 
statesmanship  which  attracted  to  their  shores  a 
winnowed  population  from  other  lands." 

The  truce  with  Spain,  concluded  April  9,  1609, 
which  virtually,  if  not  formally,  acknowledged  Dutch 
independence,  brought  a  temporary  respite  to  the 
people  of  the  Netherlands,  who,  for  more  than  forty 
years,  had  been  struggling  with  desperate  energy 
and  dogged  determination  against  the  mighty  forces 
of  Spain.  Four  days  before  the  consummation  of 
this  truce,  which  was  wrung  from  Spain  by  the 
great  victory  achieved  over  the  Spanish  fleet  the 
previous  year,  by  that  bold  navigator,  Jacob 
Heemskirk,  Hudson  had  sailed  on  his  voyage  of 
exploration  in  the  interest  of  Holland ;  and  when 
his  discoveries  were  made  known,  the  people  were 
ripe  for  those  adventures  which  planted  colonies  in 
the  valleys  of  the  Hudson  and  Delaware  from  the 
surplus  population  at  the  mouths  of  the  Rhine. 

In  1610,  the  Dutch  sent  out  a  vessel  to  engage 
in  the  fur  trade  on  the  banks  of  the  river  discov- 
ered by  Hudson.  In  1612,  and  again  in  1614, 
Hendrick  Christiansen  and  Adrian  Block  fitted  out 
two  other  vessels  for  the  same  purpose,  and  were 
soon  followed  by  others.  The  fur  trade  proving 
successful,  Christiansen  was  appointed  to  superin- 
tend it  and  Manhattan  Island  made  the  chief  depot. 
In  161 4,  he  erected  a  small  fort  and  a  few  rude 
buildings  on  the  southern  extremity  of  the  island, 
which  he  called  New  Amsterdam.  March  27, 1614, 
the  States  General  of  the  United  Netherlands 
secured  to  each  discoverer  the  exclusive  right  to 
make  four  voyages  to  the  lands  discovered  by  him 
for  the  purpose  of  trading  with  the  natives  ;  and 
October  1 1  th  of  the  same  year  a  charter  was  granted 
to  an  association  of  merchants  engaged  in  the  traflic, 
conferring  on  them  the  exclusive  right  to  trade  for 
three  years  in  the  territory  situated  between  New 
France  and  Virginia,  (between  40°  and  45°  of  lati- 
tude,) the  whole  region  being  then  known  as  New 
Netherland. 

In  the  meantime,  in  1614,  explorations  were 
being  made  in  the  surrounding  country.     Adrian 


44 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Block  passed  up  the  East  River,  Long  Island 
Sound — demonstrating  for  the  first  time  the  insular 
character  of  Long  Island — up  Connecticut  River, 
and  into  the  bays  and  along  the  islands  eastward  to 
Cape  Cod.  Cornelissen  Jacobson  Mey  explored 
the  southern  coast  of  Long  Island  and  southward 
to  Delaware  Bay;  Capt.  John  DeWitt  sailed  up 
the  North  River  and  gave  his  name  to  one  of  the 
islands  near  Red  Hook ;  while  Hendrick  Christian- 
sen ascended  that  ^ream  to  Castle  Island,  a  Uttle 
below  Albany,  (which  has  long  since  become  a  part 
of  the  main  land,)  where  he  established  a  trading 
post,  and,  in  1615,  built  a  small  fort  called  Fort 
Nassau,  which,  being  damaged  by  the  flood  in 
1 6 18,  was  removed  a  little  below  to  the  Norman's 
Kill.  Here  a  treaty  of  peace  was  formed  between 
the  Five  Nations  and  the  representatives  of  New 
Netherland,  which  remained  inviolate  so  long 
as  the  Dutch  retained  possession  of  the  country. 
A  third  fort  was  built  at  the  mouth  of  Rondout 
Kill,  on  the  site  of  the  city  of  Kingston,  contempo- 
rary with  those  at  New  Amsterdam  and  Castle 
Island;  but  it  was  not  until  1652  and  1653  that 
any  settlers  took  up  land  in  that  quarter. 

Thus  the  colonization  of  New  York  may  be  said 
to  have  fairly  begun  at  three  detached  points  along 
the  Hudson  in  16 14;  though,  up  to  this  time,  and 
for  some  years  later,  the  energies  of  the  Dutch  were 
directed  more  to  commerce  than  colonization. 
This  was  six  years  before  the  estabUshment  of  the 
Plymouth  Colony;  sixteen  years  before  Governor 
Winthrop  founded  Boston ;  twenty-one  years  before 
the  settlement  of  the  Connecticut  Valley  was  begun 
by  William  Pynchon  and  his  followers  at  Spring- 
field, and  Thomas  Hooker  and  his  band  at  Hart- 
ford ;  sixty-eight  years  before  Penn  concluded  that 
famous  treaty  with  the  Lenni-Lenape  tribes,  which 
remained  inviolate  during  his  life-time ;  and  sixty- 
nine  years  before  the  founding  of  Philadelphia  by 
the  same  admirable  man. 

The  Dutch  establishment  at  New  Amsterdam 
increased,  and  the  fur  trade  became  so  profitable 
that  at  the  expiration  of  their  charter,  the  States 
General  refused  to  renew  it,  giving  instead  a  tem- 
porary license  for  its  continuance.  It  had  become 
sufiiciently  attractive  to  tempt  the  avarice  of  English 
capitalists.  In  1620,  James  I.  granted  all  the  ter- 
ritory between  the  40th  and  48th  degrees  north 
latitude,  extending  from  ocean  to  ocean,  to  Ferdi- 
nando  Georges  and  his  commercial  associates,  and 
in  their  interest  Capt.  Dermer  appeared  at  Man- 
hattaft  and  laid  claim  to  all  the  territory  occupied 
by  the  Dutch,    This  claim  was  strengthened  by 


instructions  to  the  English  ambassador  at  the  Dutch 
capital  to  remonstrate  against  Dutch  intrusion. 
Notwithstanding  this  remonstrance,  however,  June 
3,  1621,  the  States  General  chartered  the  Dutch 
West  India  Company,  an  armed  mercantile  associa- 
tion "designed  to  co-operate  in  extending  national 
commerce,  in  promoting  colonization,  in  crushing 
piracy,  but,  above  all,  in  humbling  the  pride  and 
might  of  Spain,"  and  gave  them  exclusive  jurisdic- 
tion for  a  period  of  twenty  years  over  the  province 
of  New  Netherland,  with  power  to  appoint  govern- 
ors, subject  to  the  ajjprovalof  the  State,  to  colonize 
the  territory,  and  administer  justice. 

By  virtue  of  this  charter  the  company  took  pos- 
session of  New  Amsterdam  in  i622-'3.  The  exec- 
utive management  was  entrusted  to  a  board  of 
directors,  distributed  through  five  separate  cham- 
bers in  Holland.  The  charge  of  the  province 
devolved  on  the  Amsterdam  chamber,  which,  in 
1623,  sent  out  a  vessel  under  the  direction  of  Capt. 
CorneUssen  Jacobson  and  Adriaen  Jorissen  Tien- 
pont,  with  thirty  famihes,  most  of  whom  were  in 
the  company's  service,  for  colonization.  A  portion 
of  these  settled  on  the  Connecticut ;  others  on  the 
Hudson,  at  Albany,  where,  in  1624,  they  built  Fort 
Orange ;  and  the  remainder  on  the  Delaware,  near 
Gloucester,  where,  the  same  year,  (1624,)  Fort 
Nassau  was  built.  This  was  the  first  settlement  on 
the  Delaware.  In  May,  1626,  Peter  Minuit  arrived 
in  New  Netherland  as  Director  General  or  Gover- 
nor of  the  Province. 

No  systematic  attempt  was  made  to  promote 
colonization  until  1628.  March  28th  of  that  year, 
the  "Assembly  of  XIX."  referred  to  a  committee 
for  examination,  the  draft  of  a  "charter  of  privi- 
leges and  exemptions,"  which,  after  revision  and 
amendment,  was  agreed  to  June  7,  1629.  This 
secured  certain  privileges  to  patroons,  masters  and 
individuals  who  planted  colonies  in  ffew  Nether- 
land under  its  provisions,  and  "transplanted  to  the 
free  soil  of  America  the  feudal  tenure  and  feudal 
burdens  of  continental  Europe."*  "  While  it  secured 
the  right  of  the  Indian  to  the  soil,"  says  Moulton, 
"and  enjoined  schools  and  churches,  it  scattered 
the  seeds  of  servitude,  slavery  and  aristocracy. 
While  it  gave  to  freemen  as  much  land  as  they 
could  cultivate,  and  exempted  colonists  from  taxa- 
tion for  ten  years,  it  fettered  agriculture  by  restrict- 
ing commerce  and  prohibiting  manufacture." 

But  the  very  provisions  of  this  charter  defeated 
the  object  of  its  projectors.  The  patroons  who 
acquired  titles  to  lands  under  it,  were  not  less  ea^er 


*HUiory  of  New  Netherland  I.,  uo. 


PERNICIOUS  FEATURES  OF  DUTCH  COLONIZATION. 


45 


than  the  Dutch  West  India  Company  to  drive  a 
profitable  trade  with  the  natives.  They  were,  in- 
deed, directors  of  that  company,  which,  though  it 
introduced  a  few  settlers,  offered  few  inducements 
to  them  to  remain.  Up  to  1633,  the  company, 
though  its  estabUshment  gave  it  more  of  the  charac- 
ter of  an  independent  sovereignty  than  a  chartered 
mercantile  society,  had  scarcely  secured  a  solitary 
agricultural  settler  to  fell  the  forest  or  reclaim  the 
wilderness.  Had  they  been  disposed  even  to  make 
colonization  their  chief  object,  the  jealousy  en- 
gendered between  the  company  and  the  patroons 
would  have  neutralized  their  efforts  in  that  direc- 
tion ;  for  each  accused  the  other  of  having  en- 
croached upon  its  special  privileges,  and  the  con- 
sequence was  fatal  to  the  prosperity  of  the  country. 
The  spirit  of  monopoly  which  breathed  throughout 
that  charter,  discouraged  private  enterprise  and 
industry,  so  that  individuals  who  were  inclined 
to  em'grate  abandoned  their  design  "and  durst 
venture  nothing."  In  these  elements  lay  the  weak- 
ness of  the  Dutch  colony;  and  in'them  it  is  prob- 
able, we  may  trace  its  ready  submission  to  the 
supplanter  in  1664.  While  the  Enghsh  colonists 
sought  this  country  for  the  purpose  of  estabUshing 
homes,  the  Dutch  were  only  desirous  of  avaiUng 
themselves  of  the  profitable  trade  with  the  natives, 
and  while  the  former  were  becoming  thrifty  and 
populous  through  agricultural  enterprises,  the  latter, 
after  fifteen  years'  operations  by  the  company, 
were  decreasing  in  number,  and  the  wide  extent  of 
territory  claimed  by  the  Dutch  government,  was 
"removed  scarcely  a  degree  from  its  primitive  state 
of  wilderness,  uninhabited,  except  by  a  few  traders 
and  clerks  in  the  employ  of  a  distant  corporation, 
its  rich  and  luxuriant  soil  almost  wholly  uncultivat- 
ed and  unreclaimed,  for  the  number  of  farms  as 
yet  amounted  to  not  much  more  than  half  a  dozen 
around  Fort  Amsterdam,  and  the  same  number 
around  Fort  Orange.  It  afforded  evidence  every- 
where of  mismanagement."* 

The  States  General  saw  the  error  and,  though 
late,  endeavored  to  apply  the  remedy.  It  was  at 
this  critical  juncture  that  William  Kieft  assumed 
the  duties  of  Director  General  of  the  Province, 
arriving  at  Manhattan,  March  28,  1638.  The 
monopoly  of  the  West  India  Company  was  abolish- 
ed in  1638,  and  the  privilege  of  trade,  as  well  as 
the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  was  extended  to  all  un- 
der certain  regulations  and  restrictions.  Emigra- 
tion was  encouraged  by  liberal  assistance  rendered 
those  who  chose  to  avail  themselves  of  its  benefits. 

"History  of  New  Neiherland  /,  157,  '77.  178. 


These  measures  stimulated  individual  enterprise, 
and  increased  the  population.  They  attracted 
"  whole  towns  "  from  New  England,  who  sought  to 
"  escape  from  the  unsupportable  government "  of 
that  province,  and  the  religious  persecutions -which 
the  intollerant  majority  inflicted  on  the  minority. 

But  these  advantages  were  not  without  their  at- 
tendant evils.  They  offered  temptations  to  the 
avaricious  and  unscrupulous  fur  traders,  who  insin- 
uated themselves  among  the  Indians  in  their  re- 
mote villages,  to  faciUtate  the  pursuit  of  their 
vocation  ;  and  provoked  collisions  between  the 
natives  and  the  scattered  Dutch  planters,  whose 
unguarded  cattle  destroyed  their  unprotected  corn- 
fields. These  encroachments,  added  to  the  harsh 
and  inconsiderate  measures  of  Director  Kieft,  who 
also,  under  instructions  from  certain  of  the  Dutch 
authorities,  attempted  to  make  the  natives  pay 
tribute  in  corn,  furs  or  wampum,  for  the  pretend- 
ed protection  afforded  them  by  the  construction  of 
forts  and  maintainance  of  an  armed  force,  soon 
provoked  the  just  resentment  of  the  Indians,  with 
whom  they  had  hitherto  Uved  on  amicable  terms, 
and  involved  the  colonists  in  a  war  with  the 
latter  which  continued,  with  some  interruptions, 
during  the  remainder  of  the  Dutch  occupancy, 
and  jeopardized  the  very  existence  of  the  colony. 

These  hostilities,  which  ravaged  with  merciless 
hand  the  settlements  about  New  Amsterdam  and 
in  Ulster  county,  have  only  an  indirect  reference  to 
this  county,  which  had  not  a  single  white  settler 
during  the  whole  period  of  Dutch  occupancy. 
They  involved,  however,  to  some  extent  the  native 
tribes.  In  August,  1643,  the  Wappingers,  with 
whom  the  Dutch  had  had  no  dispute,  were  the 
first  to  break  the  peace  concluded  April  22  of  that 
year,  a  peace  suggested  by  the  necessities  of  the 
Indians,  and  gladly  assented  to  by  Director  Kieft, 
who  was  smarting  under  the  humiliating  reproaches 
of  his  countrymen,  whom  his  indiscretion  and 
cruelty  had  outraged.  They  attacked  an  open 
boat,  laden  with  four  hundred  beaver  skins,  en  route 
from  Fort  Orange  to  the  Manhattans,  and  murdered 
one  of  the  crew.  The  booty  thus  acquired  tempt- 
ed others  to  make  similar  attacks  on  two  other 
boats,  which  were  also  overpowered;  but  in  the 
attempt  to  surprise  a  fourth  the  savages  were  re- 
pulsed with  a  loss  of  six  men.  Nine  white  people 
lost  their  lives  in  these  encounters,  and  a  woman 
and  two  children  were  made  captives.  Numbers 
of  others  were  murdered  about  this  time  by  Indians, 
who  came  under  the  guise  of  friendship  ostensibly 
to  warn  the  settlers  of  approaching  danger. 


46 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Neither  the  Mahicans  nor  Wappingers  took  any 
general  part  in  the  Esopus  wars  though  nine  of 
the  latter  aided  the  Esopus  Indians  in  the  second 
Esopus  war.  Both  tribes  were,  however,  repre- 
sented by  their  chiefs  in  the  intercessions  with  the 
Dutch,  in  behalf  of  the  Esopus  Indians,  and 
participated  in  the  negotiations  by  which  those 
wars  were  terminated.  It  was  also  a  Wappinger 
Indian  who  guided  Capt.  Krygier's  forces  in  the 
expedition  which  "virtually  annihilated"  the  Esopus 
Indians  in  1663,  and  it  was  through  the  friendly  offi- 
ces of  a  Wappinger  chief  that  some  of  the  captives 
taken  by  the  Indians  in  the  attack  on  Wiltwyck, 
June  7,  1663,  were  restored.  At  a  treaty  of  peace 
concluded  with  certain  tribes  of  the  River  Indians 
March  6,  1660,  by  Peter  Stuyvesant,  the  last  of 
the  Dutch  governors  of  New  Amsterdam,  who  suc- 
ceeded Director  Kieft  in  that  office,  March  1 1, 1647, 
Goethals,  a  Wappinger  chief,  "  requested  that  the 
Esopus  savages  should  be  included  in  the  treaty." 
But  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  latter  was  not 
concluded  till  July  15,  1660.  Eskryas  alias  Apie 
and  Ampumst  represented  the  Mahicans,  and 
Isseschahya  and  Wisachganio,  the  Wappingers. 

June  7,  1663,  the  Esopus  Indians^  who,  by  an 
unusual  manifestation  of  friendship,  had  gained 
the  confidence  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  of 
Wiltwyck,  (now  Kingston,)  made  a  sudden  attack 
on  that  village  while  the  male  portion  of  its  inhab- 
itants were  at  work  in  the  fields.  Twelve  houses 
were  burned,  and,  with  the  exception  of  a  new 
uncovered  barn,  not  a  building  was  left  standing 
in  the  "  new  village."  The  loss  in  both  villages 
(Kingston  and  Hurley)  was  twenty-four  killed, 
eight  severely  wounded,  and  seventy  missing,  forty- 
five  of  the  latter  of  whom,  principally  women  and 
children,  were  taken  into  captivity,  though  most 
of  them  were  recaptured  or  ransomed. 

A  month  after  the  occurrence  of  this  tragedy, 
(July  7,  1663,)  two  Wappinger  Indians  arrived  at 
the  beleaguered  fort  at  Wiltwyck  with  a  deer  and 
some  fish.  Being  distrusted,  they  were  detained. 
The  next  day  five  others  came  to  inquire  after 
their  brethren.  Being  assured  that  no  harm  should 
befall  them  if  they  were  friendly,  they  retired. 
The  elder  of  the  two  told  the  commandant  the 
same  day  that  a  party  of  twenty-eight  Esopus 
Indians  (eight  men,  nine  women  and  eleven  child- 
ren,) were  living  "back  of  Magdalen  Island  on 
the  main  land  in  the  rear  of  a  cripple  bush  on  the 
east^side  of  Fort  Orange  river."*    On  the  evening 

*  Magdalen  Island  is  opposite  the  town  of  Red  Hook,  between  the 
upper  and  lower  landing— Tivoli  and  Barrytown ;  hence  this  incident 
transpired  In  Red  Hook. 


of  the  ninth  Sergeant  Christian  Niessen  and  Peter 
Wolfertsen  (Van  Couwenhoven)  with  twenty  sol- 
diers and  twelve  Indians,  were  sent  under  the 
guidance  of  the  elder  Wappinger  Indian  to  sur- 
prise them.  The  guide  "led  them  astray  and 
missed  the  houses,"  thus  preventing  a  surprise; 
but  they  returned  on  the  twelfth,  having  killed  five 
men  and  a  woman,  including  the  Esopus  captain, 
( Weldoverste,)  whose  hand  they  cut  off  and 
brought  with  them.  They  routed  the  rest,  and 
plundered  their  huts,  and  brought  back  with  them 
a  squaw  and  three  children  whom  they  captured, 
and  "  nineteen  blankets,  nine  kettles,  a  lot  of 
sewan  and  four  muskets  "  as  booty. 

Efforts  ensued  to  effect  the  release  of  the  cap- 
tives held  by  the  Esopus  Indians,  and  through  the 
friendly  intercession  of  five  Mohawk  Indians  were 
partially  successful.  Tired  with  fruitless  parle)dng 
it  was  resolved  to  attempt  their  rescue  by  force. 
After  some  delay  occasioned  by  wet  weather,  and 
the  return  without  success  of  an  expedition 
designed  for  this  purpose,  Capt.  Krygier  set  out  on 
the  3d  of  September  with  a  force  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  men,  guided  by  the  younger  of  the 
Wappinger  Indians  detained  on  the  7th  of  July, 
who  was  promised  his  liberty  and  a  "cloth  coat" 
if  he  directed  them  "truly  to  the  Esopus  Indians." 
Besides  inflicting  heavy  losses  on  the  Indians, 
the  expedition  returned  with  twenty-three  Christian 
prisoners;  and  the  following  October  their  un- 
finished fort,  huts  and  crops  were  destroyed  and 
much  booty  secured.  October  seventh,  after  the 
return  of  the  latter  expedition,  a  girl  escaped  from 
her  Indian  captor,  with  whom  she  had  cohabited, 
and  returned  to  the  fort.  November  seventh 
Peter  Wolfertsen  brought  in  two  children  whom 
he  received  in  exchange  for  a  squaw  and  Indian 
girl.  He  also  brought  two  Wappingers,  one  a 
chief,  who  engaged  to  return  a  Christian  woman 
who  was  detained  by  his  tribe,  having  been  bought 
from  an  Esopus  squaw,  which  he  did  on  the  thir- 
teenth. On  the  fourteenth  he  was  presented  with 
an  "Esopus  squaw  and  a  little  sucking  infant," 
"  also  with  two  pieces  of  cloth  in  token  of  friend- 
ship." He  requested  that  the  Dutch  "  should  live 
with  him  in  friendship,  which  should  be  preserved 
by  him."  He  gave  in  token  thereof  a  bow  and 
arrow,  and  said,  "  I  will  not  make  war  against  the 
Dutch  but  live  in  peace  with  them."  He  further 
promised  to  obtain  from  the  Esopus  Indians  the 
remaining  prisoners  held  by  them.  On  the  twenty- 
eighth  he  returned  with  a  quantity  of  venison,  and 
said  that,  but  for  the  misfortune  of  having  "  burnt 


THE  ENGLISH  OBTAIN  CONTROL  OF  NEW  NETHERLAND. 


47 


his  buttock,"  he  should  have  secured  the  captives. 
Six  of  them,  he  said,  "were  together  at  the  river 
side,"  and  the  seventh — "Albert  Heyman's  oldest 
daughter — he  "gave  ten  fathom  of  sewan  to  an- 
other Indian  to  look  up."  He  promised  positively 
to  restore  all  the  Christian  prisoners  in  three  days, 
"  provided  it  did  not  blow  too  hard  from  the  north ; 
otherwise,  he  could  not  come  before  the  fourth 
day.''  Having  sold  his  venison  he  departed.  He 
returned  December  3d  with  two  captive  children, 
saying,  that,  owing  to  absence  and  detention,  he 
had  been  unable  to  fulfill  his  promise  in  respect 
to  the  remaining  five.  But  he  promised  to  renew 
his  efforts,  and  all,  "  except  three,"  were  subse- 
quently recovered .  * 

A  treaty  of  peace  was  concluded  with  the  In- 
dians, including  the  remnant  of  the  Esopus  tribe, 
May  16,  1664,  in  which  Tseessaghgaw,  a  chief  of 
the  Wappingers,  participated  in  behalf  of  that 
tribe.  This  was  the  last  treaty  concluded  by 
Stuyvesant  with  the  Indians;  and  though  he 
was  impelled  to  it  by  the  necessities  of  the 
Dutch  colonists,  who  were  sorely  harassed  on  every 
hand,  and  contrary  to  instructions  of  the  company 
whose  interests  he  represented,  it  put  an  end 
to  Indian  hostilities  in  this  State  until  the  Revo- 
lution. 

Events  were  culminating  which  were  destined  to 
terminate  the  occupancy  of  New  Netherland  by 
the  Dutch,  who  were  menaced  and  their  territorial 
rights  violated  almost  continually  from  the  time 
they  took  possession  ;  first  by  the  Connecticut  col- 
onists upon  the  north  and  east,  and  later  by  the 
Swedes  and  Marylanders  on  the  Delaware.  O'Cal- 
laghan's  commentary  on  the  administration  of  Di- 
rector Stuyvesant  is  not  less  appUcable  to  the  whole 
period  during  which  the  Dutch  struggled  to  main- 
tain a  colony  in  America.  It  was,  he  says,  "  one 
of  trouble  and  anxiety.  Discontents  and  broils 
were  its  sponsors ;  clamors  and  disaffections  its 
pall-bearers ;  whilst  scarcely  an  hour  of  its  exis- 
tence was  free  from  menace  and  danger  from  its 
neighbors,  whether  savage  or  civilized.  Lacking 
those  impulses  which  filled  other  colonies  so  rap- 
idly, whatever  advantages  the  Dutch  province  pos- 
sessed from  nature  were  seriously  counterbalanced 
by  the  vicious  system  under  which  it  was  colonized, 
and  the  institutions  under  which  it  was  governed, 
which  would  convert  settlers  into  serfs,  and  by  con- 
stant petty  intermeddling,  hamper  their  exertions 
and  paralyze  their  energies.      In  no   department 

*  jmrnal  of  the  Second  Esopus    War,    Doc.  Hist.    IV.,  49-9S. 
History  of  New  Netherlaitd,  II.,  477-4831- 


were  these  tjaleful  influences  more  palpable  than  in 
the  settlement  of  the  country."* 

On  the,  12th  of  March,  1664,  Charles  II.  of 
England,  conveyed  by  patent  to  his  brother  James, 
Duke  of  York,  all  the  country  from  the  River  St. 
Croix  to  the  Kenebec,  in  Maine,  also  Nantucket, 
Martha's  Vineyard,  and  Long  Island,  together  with 
all  the  land  from  the  west  side  of  the  Connecticut 
River  to  the  east  side  of  Delaware  Bay.  The 
Duke  sent  an  English  squadron,  under  Admiral 
Richard  NicoUs,  to  secure  the  gift,  and  on  the  8th 
of  September  following.  Governor  Stuyvesant  ca- 
pitulated, and  the  territory  till  then  held  by  the 
Dutch,  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  English,  who 
changed  the  name .  of  New  Amsterdam  to  New 
York.  The  victory  was  an  easy  one,  for  restricted 
in  their  rights  and  liberties,  and  desirous  of  enjoy- 
ing the  privileges  accorded  to  the  neighboring 
English  colonists,  the  Dutch  settlers  refused  to 
contest  the  supremacy,  and  Stuyvesant  unsupport- 
ed was  obliged,  though  reluctantly,  to  yield.  The 
country  thus  surreptitiously  acquired  remained 
in  possession  of  the  English  till  the  Revolution, 
except  that,  for  a  short  period,  it  was  again  in  pos- 
session of  the  Dutch,  who,  being  at  war  with  Eng- 
land, sent  a  small  squadron  which  arrived  at  Staten 
Island,  July  30,  1673,  and  to  this.  Captain  Man- 
ning, who  in  the  absence  of  Governor  Lovelace 
had  command  at  New  York,  surrendered  most  in- 
gloriously  with  but  little  effort  at  resistance.  By 
the  treaty  of  peace  concluded  between  the  Dutch 
and  English  in  1674,  New  Netherland  was  restored 
to  the  English. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Titles  to  the  Soil — Extinguishment  of  the  In- 
dian Title — ^Land  Patents — How  Acquired 
AND  Rights  Conferred-Duchess  County  Land 
Patents — Rombout  Patent — Early  and  Dis- 
paraging Estimate  of  the  Value  of  its  Lands 
— Copy  OF  Indian  Deed  Therefor— Schuyler's 
Patent — Great  jor  Lower  Nine  Partners' 
Patent — Poughkeepsie  Patent — Rhinebeck 
Patent — Beekman  Patent — I^ittle  or  Upper 
Nine  Partners'  Tract — Oblong  Patent — 
Disputed  Boundary  Line  Between  New  York 
AND  Connecticut — The  Oblong  Granted  to 
English  and  American  Patentees — Defective 
Titles  -Anti- Rent  Difficulties. 

THE   Indian  title   to   lands   within    Duchess 
County  was  extinguished  at   different  times 
by  various  individuals  to  whom  they  were  patented, 

*  History  of  New  Neikerland,  II.,  539. 


48 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


or  by  whom  they  were  subsequently  acquired,  and 
it  is  a  congratulatory  fact  that  in  this  acquisition 
no  injustice  was  inflicted  on  the  natives,  who 
received  satisfactory  remuneration  for  their  fair 
possessions.  In  this  respect  it  presents  a  contrast 
as  marked  as  gratifying  with  the  adjoining  county 
of  Putnam,  which  formerly  belonged  to  Duchess, 
in  which  Philipsburgh,  which  was  patented  to  Fred- 
erick Philipse,  April  i,  1680,  was  the  subject  of  a 
long  and  bitter  controversy,  but  out  of  which  jus- 
tice to  the  red  man  was  never  evolved. 

During  the  Dutch  regime,  lands  were  sometimes 
granted  in  the  colony  without  the  formalities  of 
Indian  purchase.  Not  until  1650,  we  believe,  were 
any  measures  taken  to  regulate  the  purchase  of 
Indian  lands.  It  had  then  become  necessary, 
owing  to  the  disposition  manifested  by  several  in- 
dividuals to  acquire  large  tracts  of  wilderness,  not 
with  a  view  to  improvement,  but  for  speculative 
purposes.  May  24,  1650,  all  persons  were  forbid- 
den to  buy  land  from  the  natives  without  the  con- 
sent of  the  Director  and  Council,  on  pain  of  for- 
feiture. The  titles  derived  from  the  Dutch  Gov- 
ernment were  confirmed  by  the  English  when  they 
succeeded  to  the  possession  of  the  country  in  1664. 
The  third  article  of  the  terms  of  capitulation  stipu- 
lated that  "All  people  shall  continue  free  denizens, 
and  shall  enjoy  their  lands,  houses,  goods,  where- 
soever they  are  within  this  country,  and  dispose  of 
them  as  they  please."  The  English  Government 
also  adopted  similar  provisions  with  respect  to  the 
acquisition  of  Indian  lands.  In  January,  1665,  a 
law  was  passed,  requiring  the  approval  and  signa- 
ture of  the  Governor  to  all  deeds  of  lands  purchased 
from  the  Indians,  in  order  to  render  the  titles 
valid.  This  was  necessary,  as  the  Indians  fre- 
quently sold  the  same  tract  of  land  to  different  in- 
dividuals. 

"  Purchases  from  the  Indian  natives,  as  of  their 
aboriginal  right,  have  never  been  held  to  be  a  legal 
title  in  this  province,"  says  Governor  Tryon,  in  his 
report  to  the  Captain  General  and  Governor-in- 
Chief  of  the  Province  of  New  York,  in  1774,  "the 
maxim  obtaining  here,  as  in  England,  that  the 
King  is  the  fountain  of  all  real  property,  and  from 
this  source  all  titles  are  to  be  derived." 

Patents  for  lands  were  generally  issued  by  the 
Colonial  Government  under  the  great  seal  of  the 
Province,  pursuant  to  the  powers  conferred  on  the 
Governors.  "It  was  customary,"  says  French,  "to 
apply  to  the  Governor  and  Council  for  leave  to 
purchase.  If  granted,  a  treaty  was  held  and  an 
Indian  deed  obtained,  a  warrant  was  issued  to  the 


Surveyor  General  for  a  survey,  and  the  map  and 
field  notes  were  reported.  The  Attorney  General 
was  then  directed  to  prepare  a  draft  of  a  patent, 
which  was  submitted  to  the  Governor  and  Council, 
and,  if  approved,  was  engrossed  upon  parchment, 
recorded,  sealed  and  issued.  The  fees  incident  to 
procuring  a  patent  were  important  sources  of  rev- 
enue to  the  officers  concerned.  Only  one  thous- 
and acres  could  be  granted  to  one  person ;  but  this 
rule  was  evaded  by  associating  great  numbers  of 
merely  nominal  parties ;  and  the  officers  through 
whose  hands  the  papers  passed  were  often  largely 
interested  in  the  grants.  The  Colonial  Govern- 
nient  in  this  respect  became  exceedingly  corrupt, 
and  stood  greatly  in  need  of  a  reform  like  that 
wrought  by  the  Revolution.  *  *  *  The  grants 
were  'in  fee  and  common  socage '  *  *  *  and 
included  with  the  land  all  'hoifees,  messuages,  ten- 
ements, erections,  and  buildings,  mills,  mill-dams, 
fences,  inclosures,  gardens,  orchards,  fields,  pas- 
tures, common  of  pastures,  meadows,  marshes, 
swamps,  plains,  woods,  underwoods,  timber,  trees, 
rivers,  rivulets,  runs,  streams,  water,  lakes,  ponds, 
pools,  pits,  brachen,  quarries,  mines,  minerals,  (gold 
and  silver  [wholly  or  in  part]  excepted,)  creeks, 
harbors,  highways,  easements,  fishing,  hunting  and 
fowling,  and  all  other  franchises,  profits,  commodi- 
ties, and  appurtenances  whatsoever.'  This  enumer- 
ation of  rights,  more  or  less  varied,  was  embraced 
in  all  land  patents.  Colonial  grants  were  usually 
conditioned  to  the  annual  payment  of  a  quitrent, 
at  a  stated  time  and  place  named  in  the  patent. 
This  payment  was  sometimes  due  in  money,  and 
often  in  wheat  or  other  commodity.  Others  were 
conditioned  to  the  payment  of  the  skins  of  animals 
or  a  merely  nominal  article,  as  simply  an  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  superior  rights  of  the  grantors. 
The  quitrents  formed  an  important  source  of  rev- 
enue, and,  after  the  Revolution,  became  due  to  the 
State.  In  1786,  it  was  provided  that  the  lands 
subject  to  these  rents  might  be  released  upon  pay- 
ment of  arrears,  and  fourteen  shiUings  to  every 
shilling  of  the  annual  dues.  Large  amounts  of 
land  upon  which  arrears  of  quitrents  had  accumu- 
lated were  sold  from  time  to  time ;  and  laws  con- 
tinued to  be  passed  at  frequent  intervals  for  the 
regulation  of  these  rents  until  1824,  when  an  act 
was  passed  for  the  final  sale  of  all  lands  which  had 
not  been  released  by  commutation  or  remitted  by 
law.  Such  lands  as  then  remained  unredeemed 
were  allowed  to  be  released  by  payment  of  $2.50 
to  each  shilling  sterling  due.  The  last  sale  took 
place  in  March,  1826.    The  arrears  for  quitrents, 


THE  ROMBOUT  PATENT. 


49 


then  amounting  to  $53,380,  were  in  1819  taken 
from  the  general  fund  and  given  in  equal  portions 
to  the  Literature  and  School  Funds."  * 

Under  these  provisions  all  the  lands  in  Duchess 
County  were  taken  up  in  large  tracts,  less  than  a 
dozen  in  number,  by  individuals  who  undertook 
"  to  settle,  build  up,  and  cultivate  the  new  coun- 
try," and  let  them,  wholly  or  in  part,  for  a  term  of 
years,  at  a  nominal  rent,  or  merely  for  the  payment 
ol  the  taxes. 

The  first  tract  of  land  granted  within  the  present 
limits  of  Duchess  County  was  the  Rombout  Patent, 
which  embraces  the  present  towns  of  Fishkill,  East 
Fishkill.  and  Wappinger,  the  westerly  part  of  La 
Grange,  and  nine  thousand  acres  within  the  south- 
ern limits  of  the  town  of  Poughkeepsie.  For  this 
immense  tract,  covering  eighty-five  thousand  acres, 
the  patentees  were  required  to  pay  to  the  Gover- 
nor, "six  bushels  of  good  and  merchantable  winter 
wheat  every  year ;  but;  if  tradition  speaks  truly, 
even  that  might  then  have  been  regarded  as  ample 
compensation ;  for  it  is  said  that  some  of  the 
Dutch  burghers  from  Ulster  came  over  to  see  the 
country,  but  returned  and  reported  that  the  land 
was  not  worth  crossing  the  river  for.f 

February  8,  1682,  Governor  Thomas  Dongan 
gave  Francis  Rombout  and  Gulian  Ver  Planck  a 
Ucense  to  purchase  the  above  named  tract  of  the 
Wappinger  Indians.  The  purchase  was  consum- 
mated and  the  native  title  extinguished  August  8, 
1683,  and  a  patent  issued  therefor  October  17, 
1685 ;  but  prior  to  the  latter  date  Ver  Planck  died ; 
hence  Stephanus  VanCourtlandt  became  associated 
with  Rombout,  and  Jacobus  Kipp  became  the  rep- 
resentative of  Ver  Planck's  children.  The  follow- 
ing copy  of  the  Indian  deed  for  this  tract,  which 
Ruttenber  says  is  the  only  "perfect  transfer  title  on 
record,"  of  the  possessions  of  the  Wappingers,  is 
recorded  on  page  72,  vol.  5,  Book  of  Patents.  It 
is  an  interesting  document,  and  no  apology  is 
needed  for  its  introduction  here.  We  cheerfully 
acknowledge  our  indebtedness  for  it  to  the  Histor- 
ical Sketch  of  the  Town  of  Fishkill,  by  Mr.  T.  Van 
Wyck  Brinkerhotr,  of  East  Fishkill,  published  in 
the  Directory  of  that  town  for  1866  : — 

"To  ALL  CHRISTIAN  PEOPLE  to  whom  this 
Present  Writeing  shall  Come,  Sackoraghkigh 
for  hiraselfe,  and  in  the  name  of  Megriesken, 
Sachem  of  theWappinger  Indians,  Queghsjehapaein, 
Niessjawejahos,  Queghout,  Asotews,  Wappegereck, 
Nathindaeniw,  Wappappee,  Ketaghkainis,  Meak- 
haghoghkan,  Mierham,  Peapightapeieuw,  Queghi- 

*  Gazetteer  of  New  York,  46,  note.    See  also  New  A  merican  Cyclo- 
pedia, I.,  668,  under  head  o{  ArUi-Xent, 
t  Poughkeepsie  Weekly  Eagle,  July  8,  1876. 


taeuw,  Minesawogh,  Katariogh,  Kightapiuhogh, 
Rearowogh,  Meggrek,  Sejay,  Wienangeck,  Maene- 
manew,  and  Ginghstyerem,  true  and  Lawful  Own- 
ers and  Indian  proprietors  of  the  Land  herein 
menchoned,  send  Greeting,  KNOW  YEE — that  for 
and  in  Consideracon  of  a  Certain  Sume  or  Quantity 
of  Money,  Wampum,  and  diverse  other  Goods  in 
a  Schedull  hereunto  Annexed  Perticularly  Men- 
coned  and  Expered  to  them  the  said  Indians,  in 
Hand  Payed  by  Mr.  ffrancis  Rumbouts  and  Gulyne 
Ver  Planke,  both  of  the  Citty  of  New  York,  Mer- 
chants, the  Receipt  whereof  they,  the  said  Indians, 
Doe  hereby  Acknowledge,  and  therewith  ownes 
themselves  to  be  fully  payed,  Contented  and  Sat- 
tisfied,  and  thereof  of  every  Parte  and  Parcell,  Doe 
hereby  Acquitt,  Exonerate  and  Discharge  them,  the 
said  ffrancis  Rumbouts  and  Gulyne  V.  Planke, 
their  Heires  and  Assignes,  have  Given,  Granted, 
Bargained,  Sold,  Aliened,  Enfoeffed,  and  Con- 
firmed, and  by  these  Presents  Doe  fully  Cleerly 
and  Absolutely  Give,  Grant,  Baigaine,  Sell  and 
Alien,  Enfeoffe,  and  Confirme  unto  the  said  Fran- 
cis Rumbout  and  Gulyne  Ver  Planke,  All  that 
Tract  or  Parcell  of  Land  Scituate,  Lyeing  and  be- 
ing on  the  East  side  of  Hudson's  River,  at  the 
north  side  of  the  High  Lands,  Beginning  from  the 
South  side  of  A  Creek  Called  the  fresh  Kill,  and 
by  the  Indians  Matteawan,  and  from  thence  North- 
ward along  said  Hudson's  River  five  hund"*  Rodd 
bejond  the  Great  Wappins  Kill,  called  by  the  In- 
dians Mawenawasigh,  being  the  Northerly  Bounds, 
and  from  thence  into  the  Woods  fouer  Houers  goe- 
ing,*  alwayes  Keeping  five  hund^  Rodd  Distant 
from  North  side  of  said  Wapinges  Creeke,  however 
it  Runns,  as  alsoe  from  the  said  fresh  Kill  or  Creeke 
called  Matteawan,  along  the  said  fresh  Creeke  into 
the  Woods  att  the  foot  of  the  said  High  Hills,  in- 
cluding all  the  Reed  or  Low  Lands  at  the  South 
side  of  said  Creeke,  with  an  Easterly  Line,  fouer 
Houers  going  into  the  Woods,  and  from  thence 
Northerly  to  the  end  of  the  fouer  Houers  Goeing  or 
Line.Drawne  att  the  North  Side  of  the  five  hund^ 
Rodd  Bejoyond  the  Create  Wappinger  Creek  or 
Kill  called  Mawenawasigh,  together  with  all  the 
Lands,  Soyles,  Meadows,  both  fresh  and  Salt,  Pas- 
tures, Commons,  Wood  Land,  Marshes,  Rivers, 
Rivoletts,  Streames,  Creekes,  Waters,  Lakes,  and 
whatsoever  else  to  the  said  Tract  or  Parcell  of 
Land  within  the  Bounds  and  Limitts  aforesaid  is 
Belonging,  or  any  wise  Appurteining,  without  any 
Reservacon  of  Herbage,  Trees  or  any  other  thing 
Growing  or  Being  thereupon,  To  have  and  to  hold 
said  Tract  or  Parcell  of  Land,  Meadow,  Ground, 
and  Primisses,  with  their  and  every  of  their  Appur- 
tennces,  and  all  the  Estate,  Right,  Title,  Interest, 
Clayme  and  Demand  of  them  the  said  Indian  Pro- 
prietors and  each  and  every  of  them,  of,  in,  and  to, 
the  same,  and  Every  Parte  thereof,  unto  them  the 

*  In  a  tripartite  indenture  between  Catharyna  Brett,  '^of  Fishkill," 
"daughter  and  sole  heir  of  Francis  Rombout,  late  of  the  city  of  New 
York,  deceased,"  of  the  first  part,  George  Clarke,  Sec'y  of  the  Province 
of  New  York,  of  the  second  part,  and  Cornelius  Van  Wyck,  of  Hemp- 
stead, Queens  county,  yeoman,  of  the  third  part,  dated  April  10,  1735, 
and  recorded  in  the  Clerk's  office  in  Duchess  county,  these  distances  are 
said  to  he  equivalent  to  sixteen  English  miles. 


so 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


said  ffrancis  Rumbout  and   Gulyne   Ver  Planke, 
their  Heires  and  Assignes,  to  the  Sole  and  only 
Proper  use,  Benefitt  and  Behoofe  of  them,  the  said 
ffrancis   Rumbout  and  Gulyne  Ver  Planke,  their 
Heires  and  Assignes  for  Ever,  And  they  the  said 
Indians  Doe  for  themselves  and  their  Heires  and 
every  of  them  Covenant,  Promise  and  Engage  that 
the  said  ffrancis  Rumbout  and  Gulyne  Ver  Planke, 
their   Heires   and  Assignes,  shall   and  may  from 
henceforth    for    ever    Lawfully,    Peaceably,    and 
Quettly  have,  hold,  Possesse,  and  Enjoye  the  said 
Tract  or  Parcell  of  Land,  and  all  and   Singuler 
other  the  Primisses,  with  their  Appertences  without 
any  Lett,  Hindrance,  or  Interrupcon  whatsoever  of 
or  by  them,  the  said  Indians^  Proprieters  or  their 
Heires,  or  of  any  other  Person  or  Persons  whatso- 
ever clayming  or  that  hereafter  shall  or  may  Clayme 
by,  from,  or  under  them,  or  Either  of  them.  And 
that   they  shall  and  will,  upon    reasonable   Re- 
quest  and   Demand  made   by  the  said  Francis 
Rumbouts  and  Gulyne  Ver  Planke,  Give  and  De- 
liver Peaceably  and  Quiettly  Possession  of  the  said 
Tract  or  Parcell  of  Land  and  Primisses,  or  of  some 
Parte  thereof,  for  and  in  the  Name  of  the  whole, 
unto  such  Person  or  Persons  as  by  the  said  ffrancis 
Rumbout  and  Gulyne  Ver  Planke,  shall  be  Appoint- 
ed to  Receive  the  same.  In  witness  whereof,  the  said 
Sackoraghkigh,  for  himselfe  and  in  the  Name  of 
Megriskar,  Sachem  of  Wappinger  Indians,  Quegh- 
sjehapeieuw,  Niessjawejhos,  Queghout,  Asotewes, 
Wappegereck,    Nathindaew,    Wappape,    Ketagh- 
kanns,  Meakaghoghkan,  Mierhara,  Peapithapaeuw 
Queghhitaeuw,  Memesawogh,  Katariogh,  Kighta- 
pinkog,  Rearawogh,  Meggiech,  Sejay,  Wienangeck. 
Maenemaeuw,   Guighstierm,   the   Indian  Owners 
and  Proprietors  afores'^,  have  hereunto  sett  their 
Hands  and  Seales  in  N.  Yorke,  the  Eighth  Day  of 
August,  in  the  3Sth  Yeare  of  his  Mat'^  Reigne, 
Anno  DoTO,  1683. 

"Themarkeof  \  SAKORAGHUCK,  [l.s.J 
"The  marke  of  X  QUEGHSJEHAPAEIN,  [l.  s.] 

"  Signed  Sealed  and  Delivered 
in  the  psen  of  us 

"Antho.  BrockhoUs, 

"  P.  V.  Courtlandt, 

"  John  West. 
"The  marke  of  CLAES  the  Indian  X  Inter. 

[VERITE.1 

"The  marke  of  a  MERHAM,  [l.  s.] 
"  The  marke  of  &  PEAPIGHTAPAEW,  [l.  s  1 
"The  marke  of  7  QUEGHHITAEMW,  [l.  sf 
"  The  marke  of  8  MEINESAWOGH,  [l.  s  ] 
"  The  marke  of  O  KOTARIOGH,  [l.  s.] 
"  The  marke  of  3  KIGHTAPINKOJH,  [l.  s  1 
"  The  marke  of-<  REAROWOGH,  [l.  s.] 
"  The  marke  of  9  MEGGENKSEJAY,  [l  s  1 
"The  marke  ofu  WIENARGECK,  [l.  s.] 
"  The  marke  of  O  M AENEMANEW,  [l  s  1 
"Themarkeof  2  GUIGHSTJEREM,  [l.  si 
"The  marke  of  (-  KETAGHKANNES, Vl  s.I 
"  The  marke  of  V  MEAKHAJH,  [l.  s  1 
'i,The  marke  of  O  OGHKAN,  [l.  s.] 
"  The  marke  of  X  NIESSJAWETAHOS,  Tl  s  1 
"The  marke  of  X  QUEJHOUT,  [l.  s.] 


The  marke  of  X  SJOTEWES,  [l.  s.] 
The  marke  of  X  WAPPEGERECK,  [l.  s.J 
The  marke  of  X  NATHINDAEUW,  [l.  s.] 
"The  marke  of  X  WAPPAPE,  [l.  s.] 

"  A  ScheduU  or  Perticuler  of  Money,  Wampum 
and  other  goods  Paid  by  ffrancis  Rumbout  and 
Gulyne  Ver  Planke  for  the  purchase  of  the  Land 
in  the  Deed  hereunto  annexed. 

"  One  hund"!  Royalls,  One  hund'^  Pound  Pow- 
der, Two  hund"^  fathom  of  White  Wampum,  one 
hundd  Barrs  of  Lead,  One  hundred  fathom  of 
black  Wampum,  thirty  tobacco  boxes  ten  hoU  a 
dges,  thirty  Gunns,  twenty  Blankets,  forty  fathom 
of  DuffiUs,  twenty  fathom  of  stroudwater  Cloth, 
thirty  Kittles,  forty  Hatchets,  forty  Homes,  forty 
Shirts,  forty  p  stockins,  twelve  coates  of  R.  B.  &  b. 
C,  ten  Drawing  Knives,  forty  earthen  Juggs,  forty 
Bottles,  forty  Knives,  fouer  ankers  rum,  ten  halfe, 
fatts  Beere,  two  hunda  tobacco  Pipes,  &c.,  Eighty 
Pound  Tobacco. 

"  New  York?  August  the  8th,  1683. 
"  The  above  Perticulers  were  Delvered  to  the 
Indians  in  the  Bill  of  Sale  Menconed  in  the  psence 
of  us 

"Antho:  Brockhalls, 
"  P.  V.  Courtlandt, 
"John  West. 
"I  do  hereby  certify  the  aforegoing  to  be  a  true 
copy  of  the  Original  Record,  compared  therewith 
by  me. 

"  Lewis  A.  Scott,  Secretary." 

Schuyler's  Patent,  granted  by  Governor  Thomas 
Dongan  to  Col.  Peter  Schuyler,  June  2,  i688, 
consisted  of  two  tracts;  "one  near  Maghdalen's 
Island,"  embraced  in  the  present  town  of  Red 
Hook ;  the  other,  apparently,  corresponding  with 
that  portion  of  the  Rombout  Patent  lying  north  of 
Wappinger's  Creek,  in  the  present  town  of  Pough- 
keepsie,*  and  thus  described  on  page  278,  Bool^A 
of  Deeds  in  the  clerk's  office  in  Poughkeepsie : — 

"  Scituate,  Lying  and  being  on  ye  East  side  of 
Hudson's  River  in  Dutches  county  at  A  Certaine 
Place  Caled  ye  Long  Reach  Slenting  Over  Against 
Juffrow's  Hook  f  At  a  Place  Called  the  Rust  Plaest.t 
Runs  from  Thence  East  Ward  into  the  wood  to  A 
Creek  Caled  by  The  Indians  Pietawickquasick 
Knowne  by  the  Christians  for  Jan  Casperses  Creek 

*  See  Sauthier's  Map,  1779. 

t  "Jeffrows  "  or  "Jeflroos  Hook  "  is  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Hudson, 
opposite  the  south  part  of  the  city  of  Poughkeepsie. 

t ' '  Rust  Plates  Kill "  empties  into  the  Hudson  on  the  east  side,  nearly 
opposite  Jeffrows  Hook.  April  3,  1741,  Johannis  Van  Kleeck,  aged  te 
years,  and  Myndert  Van  Den  Bogart,  aged  about  60,  both  of  Poughkeep- 
sie Precinct,  being  duly  sworn  declared  "that  the  Rust  place  (which 
Bounds  Mr.  Henry  Van  Den  Burgh  &  Compy.  on  the  north,  and  Myn- 
dert Harmse  &  Company  on  the  south,  according  To  a  Deed  Given  them 
by  Coll.  Peter  Schuyler,  which  lays  and  is  on  ye  East  Side  of  Hudson's 
River  Slanting  over  against  Juffrows  Hook  and  Lays  in  Poghkeepsie 
Precinct,)  •  *  •  is  the  only  rust  place  and  which  was  m^ant  in  said 
Schuyler's  Deed  and  that  there  is  no  other  in  said  pattent."  Both  Van 
Kleeck  and  Van  Den  Bogart  said  they  had  known  the  "  Rust  place  "  to 
be  called  by  that  name  for  fifty  years  before.— Book  A,  Deeds,  Clerk's 
Office,  Poughkeepsie. 


NINE  PARTNERS,  POUGHKEEPSIE,  RHINEBECK  AND  BEEKMAN  PATENTS.      51 


Northwarde  to  a  Water  fall  where  the  Saw  Mill 
belonging  to  Myndert  Harmense  *  *  *  Stands 
Upon  and  so  Southwarde  Alongst  Hudsons  River 
Aforesaid  to  said  Rust  Plaest." 

The  latter  tract  was  conveyed  by  Schuyler  to 
Robert  Saunders  and  Myndert  Harmense  August 
30,  1699;  but  both  tracts  were  for  many  years  in 
possession  of  Henry  Beekman,  probably  as  a  lease- 
holder, as  appears  from  the  following  document : — 

"Received  of  Henry  Beekman  fifty  Two  Bush- 
ells  of  wheat  which  added  to  the  former  payments 
makes  the  amount  of  three  hundred  and  seventy 
Bushells  of  wheat  being  the  arrears  of  thirty  two 
years  Due  to  his  Majastie  to  the  year  one  thousand 
seven  hundred  Twenty  five  for  Quit  rent  of  a 
Patent  Granted  1688  June  ye  2d  to  Coll.  Peter 
Schuyler  Laying  in  Dutchess  County  Consisting  of 
Two  Tracts  of  Lands  the  one  near  Maghdalens 
Island  and  the  other  at  the  Long  reatch  on  the 
South  Side  of  A  Place  Called  Poghkeepsie  which 
quantity  of  three  hundred  and  seventy  Bushels  of 
wheat  I  aknowledge  to  have  Red.  in  full  for  the 
above  said  Patent. 

"Witness  my  hand  this  4th  of  Octr  1727. 
"Archd.  Kennedy 

"  Recr.  Genii. 
"New  York  Octobr  nth  1727. 

"Archibald  Kenedy  Esqr.  Receiver  Generall  of 
the  province  of  New  York  having  appeared  before 
me  Lewis  Morris  Junr.  Esqr.  one  of  his  Majesties 
Councill  of  the  Province  of  New  York  and  ac- 
knowledged the  within  Receipt  to  be  his  act  and 
Deed  and  I  haveing  Examined  the  same  allow  it 
may  be  Recorded.  Lewis  Morris  Junr.* 

The  Nine  Partners'  Patent  (Great  or  Lower)  was 
granted  by  Gov.  Benjamin  Fletcher,  May_27, 1697, 
to  Col.  Caleb  Heathcote,  Major  Augustus  (or  Au- 
gustin)  Graham,  James  Emott,  Lieut.-Col.  Henry 
Filkins,  David  Jamison,  Hendryck  Ten  Eyck,  John 
Aaretson,  WiUiam  Creed  and  Jarvis  Marshall,  nine 
men  of  wealth  and  influence.  It  embraced  the 
present  towns  of  Clinton,  Pleasant  Valley,  Stan- 
ford and  Washington,  except  a  small  strip  along 
the  north  border  of  CUnton  and  Stanford,  that  por- 
tion of  Hyde  Park  south  and  east  of  Crum  Elbow 
Creek,  and  Amenia  and  the  southern  part  of  North 
East,  except  the  Oblong,  which  was  afterwards  de- 
fined. Its  boundaries  are  thus  defined  in  deeds 
derived  from  it : — 

"A  Tract  of  Vacant  Land  Situate,  Lying  and 
Being  on  Hudson's  River  in  Dutchess  County. 
Bounded  on  the  west  by  the  said  Hudson  River 
Between  the  Creek  called  Fish  Creek  [Crum 
Elbow  ?]  at  the  marked  Trees  of  pauUng  (Includ- 
ing the  said  Creeke)  and  the  Land  of  Myndert 
Harmensen  &  Company  then  Bounded  southerly 
by  the  Land  of  said  Myndert  Harmense  and  com- 
pany as  far  as  their  bounds  goes  then  westerly  by 

*  Book  A,  Deeds,  Clerk's  Office,  Poughkeepsie. 


the  Land  of  the  said  Harmense  and  untill  a  south- 
erly Hne  runs  so  far  south  untUl  it  comes  to  the 
south  side  of  a  certain  Meadow  wherein  there  is  a 
White  Oak  Tree  markt  with  the  Letters  H.  T.  then 
southerly  by  an  east  and  west  Line  to  the  Division 
Line  between  the  province  of  New  York  and  the 
colony  of  Connecticut  and  so  Easterly  to  the  said 
Division  Line  and  Northerly  by  the  aforesaid  Fish 
Creeke  as  far  as  it  goes  and  from  the  head  of  said 
Creeke  by  a  parallel  line  to  the  south  Bounds  east 
and  west  Reaching  the  aforesaid  Division  Line." 

The  tract  was  divided  into  thirty-six  principal 
lots  and  nine  "  water  lots,"  the  latter  fronting  upon 
the  Hudson.  The  lots  varied  in  size  according  to 
the  quality  of  the  land,  but  were  nearly  equal. 

The  Poughkeepsie  Patent,  embracing  the  major 
portion  of  the  town  of  Poughkeepsie,  was  granted 
to  Henry  Ten  Eyck  and  eight  others,  by  Governor 
Benjamin  Fletcher,  May  7,  1697. 

The  Rhinebeck  Patent,  embraced  within  the 
Umits  of  the  towns  of  Rhinebeck  and  Red  Hook, 
was  granted  to  Henry  Beekman,  June  8,  1703. 

The  Beekman  Patent,  which  comprised  the  towns 
of  Beekman  and  Unionvale,  the  easterly  portion 
of  LaGrange,  and  Dover  and  Pawling,  except  the 
Oblong,  was  granted  to  Henry  Beekman,  June  25, 
1703. 

The  Little  or  Upper  Nine  Partner^  Patent  was 
granted  April  10,  1706,  to  Samson  Broughton,  Rip 
Van  Dam,  Thomas  Wenham,  Roger  Mompesson, 
Peter  Fauconier,  Augustin  Graham,  Richard 
Sackett  and  Robert  Lurting,  and  comprised  the 
towns  of  Milan  and  Pine  Plains,  the  north  half  of 
North  East,  and  the  small  portions  of  Clinton  and 
Stanford  not  covered  by  the  Great  Nine  Partners' 
Patent.     It  was  bounded  as  follows  : — 

"  Beginning  at  the  North  Bounds  of  the  Lands 
And  then  lately  purchased  by  said  Richard  Sackett 
in  Dutchess  county,  and  runs  thence  South  Easterly 
by  his  north  bounds  to  Wimposing  thence  by  the 
mountains  southerly  to  the  south  east  corner  of 
the  said  Sackett's  Land  and  thence  Easterly  to  the 
Colony  Line  of  Connecticut  and  thence  Northerly 
by  the  said  colony  Line  and  Wiantenuck  River  to 
the  south  bounds  of  lands  purchased  by  John 
Spragg  &c.  at  Owissetanuck  thence  westerly  by 
the  said  purchase  as  it  runs  to  the  south-west  cor- 
ner thereof  thence  to  the  Manner  of  Livingston 
and  by  the  south  bounds  thereof  unto  the  lands 
purchased  and  patented  to  Coll.  Peter  Schuyler 
over  against  Magdelons  Island  and  so  by  the  said 
purchase  and  patent  To  the  patent  of  Coll.  Beek- 
man for  Land  Lying  over  against  Clyne  Esopus  Fly 
and  thence  by  the  said  Land  to  the  said  south  east 
corner  and  thence  to  the  place  where  it  begun." 

This  tract  was  confirmed  by  Queen  Anne  to  the 
above  named  patentees  September  25,  1708;  and 
in  1734,  the  Colonial  Assembly-passed  a  law  author- 


52 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


izing  its  partition.  A  deed  for  three  hundred  acres 
of  this  tract,  given  October  20,  1740,  by  Richard 
Sackett,  Richard  Sackett,  Jr.,  and  John  Sackett  to 
Johann  Tise  Smith,  recites  that  "some  native 
Indians  of  said  county  [Duchess]  and  there  re- 
siding lay  claim  to  some  part  of  the  above  demised 
and  granted  premises."  This  has  reference  doubt- 
less to  the  Shekomeko  Indians. 

The  Oblong  Patent  covers  a  tract  of  land,  named 
from  its  figure,  and  extends  in  a  narrow  strip  along 
the  east  borders  of  Duchess,  Putnam  and  Westches- 
ter counties.  It  contains  61,440  acres,  and  was 
ceded  to  the  State  of  New  York  as  an  equivalent 
for  lands  on  the  sound,  eight  by  twelve  miles  in 
extent,  surrendered  by  that  State  to  Connecticut. 
It  was  originally  called  the  "  Equivalent  land,"  and 
is  so  referred  to  in  colonial  documents. 

The  boundary  line  between  New  York  and  Con- 
necticut has  been  in  dispute  from  an  early  period 
in  the  Dutch  Colonial  history.  An  effort  to  adjust 
this  difficulty  was  made  at  Hartford,  Sept.  19,  1650, 
by  Commissioners  representing  the  United  English 
Colonies  and  New  Netherland.  It  was  then  agreed 
that  "  the  bounds  upon  the  main  "  should  "  begin 
at  the  west  side  of  Greenwich  Bay,  being  about 
four  miles  from  Stamford,  and  so  to  run  a  northerly 
line  twenty  miles  up  into  the  country,  and  after  as 
it  shall  be  agreed  by  the  two  governments,  *  *  * 
provided  that  the  said  line  come  not  within  ten 
miles  of  Hudson  River."  The  Dutch  were  pro- 
hibited from  building  thereafter  "  any  house  or 
habitation  within  six  miles  of  the  said  Une."  The 
inhabitants  of  Greenwich  were  to  remain  under 
the  government  of  the  Dutch  till  further  considera- 
tion was  had ;  and  the  Dutch  were  to  "  hold  and 
enjoy  all  the  lands  in  Hartford  that  they  [were] 
actually  possessed  of; "  while  the  remainder  of 
the  lands  on  both  sides  of  the  Connecticut  were 
to  remain  in  possession  of  the  English. 

But  that  agreement  was  by  no  means  preserved 
inviolate.  The  encroachments  of  the  Connecticut 
colonists  proved  one  of  the  most  serious  problems 
that  vexed  the  Dutch  colonial  administration. 
When  the  EngUsh  superseded  the  Dutch  in  1664, 
they  had  extended  their  settlements  on  the  sea 
coast  to  within  ten  miles  of  the  Hudson  ;  and  as 
they  desired  to  retain  their  connection  with  the 
Connecticut  government,  with  which  their  sympa- 
thies and  associations  brought  them  into  close 
affiUation,  an  effort  was  made  in  that  year  to  adjust 
the  boundary  in  harmony  with  those  wishes,  and 
with  due  regard  to  the  claims  of  the  Duke  of  York. 
Commissioners  were   appointed  by  Charles  II.,  of 


England,  who  determined  on  a  line  parallel  with 
the  Hudson  and  twenty  miles  distant  from  it  on 
the  east,  "  reserving,  however,  to  Connecticut,  the 
settlements  actually  made,  though  within  less  than 
ten  miles  from  Hudson's  River,  for  which  they  were 
to  allow  an  equivalent  in  the  inland  parts,  where 
they  had  no  settlements.  By  this  equivalent  the 
distance  between  Hudson's  River  and  the  colony 
of  Connecticut  in  the  upper  parts  is  about  twenty- 
two  miles." 

The  line  thus  agreed  upon  "  being  considered  as 
fraudulent,  or  erroneous,"  and  having  given  rise  to 
a  dispute  respecting  the  right  of  government  over 
the  towns  of  Rye  and  Bedford,  in  Westchester 
county,  another  agreement  was  concluded  Novem- 
ber 28,  1683,  between  Colonel  Thomas  Dongan, 
Governor  of  New  York,  in  behalf  of  the  Duke  of 
York,  on  the  one  side,  and  Governor  Robert  Treat, 
Major  Nathaniel  Gold,  Captain  John  Allyn  and 
WilUam  Pitkin,  of  Connecticut,  on  the  other.  The 
line  then  determined  on  commences  at  "Lyons 
Point,"  on  the  east  bank  and  at  the  mouth  of  By- 
ram  River,  and  proceeds  thence  "  one  mile  and  a 
half  and  twenty  rods,"  "  as  the  said  river  runneth 
to  the  place  where  the  common  road  or  wading 
place  over  the  said  river  is ;"  thence  "  north  north- 
west into  the  country"  six  and  a  half  miles,  "to  a 
point  eight  miles  distant  from  Lyons  Point;" 
thence  eastward  twelve  miles  in  the  general  direc- 
tion of  the  Sound  and  eight  miles  distant  from  it ; 
thence  twelve  miles  north  north-west ;  and  thence 
"  parallel  to  Hudson's  River  in  every  point,  twenty 
miles  distant  from  the  river,  so  far  as  the  Con- 
necticut colony  doth  extend  northwards."  It  was 
provided  that,  if  these  bounds  encroached  upon 
lands  within  twenty  miles  of  the  Hudson,  a  strip 
should  be  taken  from  Connecticut,  east  of  and  ex- 
tending the  whole  length  of  the  line  running  par- 
allel with  the  river,  of  such  width  as  would  make 
an  equivalent  compensation  therefor.  The  towns 
of  Rye  and  Bedford  were  adjudged  by  the  latter 
commission  to  be  subject  to  the  New  York  govern- 
ment. By  a  survey  made  in  1684,  it  was  deter- 
mined that  the  line  running  parallel  with  the  Sound 
would,  if  prolonged  "one  mile  and  sixty-four  rods," 
reach  a  point  "twenty  miles  distant  from  the  Hud- 
son, and  that  the  oblong  of  eight  by  twelve  miles 
diminished  "  sixty- one  thousand  four  hundred 
and  forty  acres  from  the  twenty  miles  from  Hud- 
son's River ;''  therefore  a  strip  "  three  hundred  and 
five  rods"  in  width  was  annexed  on  the  line  run- 
ning parallel  with  the  Hudson,  which  was  deemed 
to  extend  one  hundred  miles  from  the  terminus  of 


DISPUTE  OVER  THE  NEW  YORK  AND  CONNECTICUT  BOUNDARY  LINE.       53 


the  eight  mile  line.*  This  agreement  was  respected 
till  the  beginning  of  the  year  1697,  when,  as  ap- 
pears by  a  letter  from  Governor  Fletcher,  dated 
June  22,  1697,  the  towns  of  Rye  and  Bedford  "re- 
volted from  New  York  to  Connecticut,"  "to  avoid 
the  payment  of  some  arrears  of  taxes ;"  and  Con- 
necticut having  "  owned  them  as  members  of  that 
colony,"  the  execution  of  a  writ  for  the  election  of 
a  Representative  to  the  General  Assembly  of  New 
York,  was  "  disturbed  at  Rye  in  a  hostile  man- 
ner." It  became  necessary  therefore  to  apply  to 
the  EngUsh  Crown  for  a  confirmation  of  the  agree- 
ment, which  was  given  March  28,  1700. 

"Nineteen  years  afterwards,"  says  Smith,  "a 
probationary  act  was  passed,  empowering  the  Gov- 
ernor to  appoint  commissioners,  as  well  to  run  the 
line  parallel  to  Hudson's  River,  as  to  re-survey 
the  other  lines  and  distinguish  the  boundary.  The 
Connecticut  agent  opposed  the  King's  confirma- 
tion of  this  act,  toHs  viribus ;  but  it  was  approved 
on  the  23d  of  January,  1723.  Two  years  after, 
the  commissioners  and  surveyors  of  both  colonies 
met  at  Greenwich,  and  entered  first  into  an  agree- 
ment relating  to  the  method  of  performing  the 
work.  The  survey  was  immediately  after  executed 
in  part,  the  report  being  dated  on  the  12th  of  May, 
1725  ;  but  the  complete  settlement  was  not  made 
till  the  14th  of  May,  1731,  when  indentures,  certi- 
fying the  execution  of  the  agreement  in  1725,  were 
mutually  signed  by  the  commissioners  and  survey- 
ors of  both  colonies.  At  this  time  the  tract' known 
as  the  Oblong  was  ceded  to  New  York  as  an  equiva- 
leiit  for  the  lands  near  the  Sound,  the  peaceable 
possession  of  which  Connecticut  had  enjoyed  during 
all  the  intervening  years." 

"The  manner  of  setting  off  this  strip,"  says  a 
writer  in  the  Poughkeepsie  Eagle,  of  recent  date, 
"was  the  main  cause  of  later  disputes,  as  instead  of 
running  a  new  line  where  the  boundary  was  to  be, 
and  marking  it  with  suitable  monuments,  the  sur- 
veyors ran  the  old  line  on  the  west  side  of  the 
'Oblong'  to  be  set  off,  and  every  two  miles  made 
offsets  toward  the  east,  of  such  distance  as  to  make 
the  oblong  contain  the  required  number  of  acres. 
In  making  these  offsets,  measuring  as  they  had  to 
through  an  unbroken  wilderness,  through  swamps 
and  over  mountains,  hardly  two  of  the  lines  were 
of  equal  length,  and  as  a  result  the  line,  instead 
of  being  straight  as  was  intended,  bowed  into 
Connecticut.  *  *  *  At  the  time  this  line  was 
determined  on  it  made  very  little  difference  whether 
it  bowed  into  Connecticut  or  New  York,  as  the 
territory  was  entirely  wild  and  unsettled,  and 
is  so  largely  even  to  the  present  day,  but  as  settle- 
ments increased  and  the  stone  heaps  that  had  been 


*  The  width  of  the  oblong  is  580  rods.    Frenches  State  Gazetteer^ 
Z69,  note. 


piled  up  for  monuments  and  the  trees  which  had 
been  marked  began  to  disappear,  disputes  again 
arose  which  no  one  had  authority  to  settle  ;  so  in 
185  s,  another  effort  was  made  to  obtain  a  final 
settlement  of  the  vexed  question ;  and  Hon.  Ben. 
Field,  Samuel  D.  Backus  and  Jonathan  Tarbell 
were  appointed  Commissioners  on  the  part  of  this 
State,  and  Hon.  Wm.  H.  Holly  and  Jason  Whiting 
on  the  part  of  Connecticut  for  that  purpose.  These 
Commissioners  made  a  survey  from  the  Sound 
north  to  the  point  where  the  ceded  territory  to 
New  York  began,  from  which  point  the  Connecti- 
cut Commissioners  insisted  a  straight  line  should 
be  run  to  the  Massachusetts  line,  while  the  New 
York  Commissioners  insisted  it  should  run  through 
the  old  monuments  as  far  as  they  could  be  ascer- 
tained. Various  efforts  were  made  at  compromise, 
but  nothing  was  effected,  and  the  commission  was 
finally  dissolved.  In  1859  another  effort  was  made, 
and  new  Commissioners  appointed  by  both  sides, 
consisting  of  Isaac  Piatt,  Jacob  Vroman  and  Lean- 
der  D.  Brown,  on  the  part  of  New  York,  and  Oliver 
A.  Perry,  Joseph  R.  Hawley  and  Phihp  D.  Bebee, 
on  the  part  of  Connecticut.  This  commission  in 
1859  held  many  meetings  and  made  sufficient 
examination  of  the  line  to  convince  them  that  the 
old  monuments  could  be  found  in  almost  every  in- 
stance, but  the  Connecticut  Commissioners  still  in- 
sisted on  the  straight  Une,  with  slight  modification, 
while  the  New  York  Commissioners  insisted  on  the 
old  line  as  far  as  practicable.  One  of  the  principal 
bones  of  contention  was  the  village  of  Amenia 
Union  in  this  county,  the  Main  street  of  which  had 
been  considered  the  boundary  line  from  time 
immemorial,  and  which  village  the  straight  line 
would  have  put  entirely  in  Connecticut.  At  one 
time  the  Connecticut  Commissioners  conceded  so 
much  as  to  agree  to  still  call  this  street  the  line, 
and  run  from  the  north  end  of  it  straight  to  the 
Massachusetts  line,  and  from  the  south  straight  to 
the  southern  end  of  the  oblong,  but  that  was  not 
accepted  by  New  York.'' 

"Finding  all  efforts  at  agreement  futile,  the 
Legislature  in  i860  passed  a  law  directing  the  New 
York  Commissioners,  if,  after  further  suitable 
efforts,  no  agreement  should  be  reached,  to  proceed 
alone  to  survey  and  mark  the  line,  and  this  was 
done  during  the  summer  and  fall  of  i860,  the  line 
running  through  the  old  monuments  so  far  as  they 
could  be  ascertained,  its  position  being  marked  at 
road  crossings  and  angles  with  suitable  monuments 
of  marble  or  granite.  Their  work  was  approved 
by  the   Legislature   of  this   State,  and   generally 


54 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


acceded  to  by  the  people  of  Connecticut ;  still  it 
was  not  formally  adopted  by  that  State,  and  was 
not  considered  a  legal  line,  although  it  was  so  de- 
cided by  several  suits  in  this  State." 

"Thus  matters  rested  for  twenty  years,  until  last 
year,  when  another  commission  consisting  of  Allen 
C.  Beach,  Secretary  of  the  State ;  Augustus 
Schoonmaker,  Attorney  General,  and  Horatio  Sey- 
mour, Jr.,  State  Engineer,  on  the  part  of  New 
York,  and  Origen  S.  Seymour,  Lafayette  S.  Foster 
and  William  T.  Minor,  on  the  part  of  Connecticut, 
were  appointed  to  finally  settle  the  subject,  if  pos- 
sible. This  Commission  *  *  *  agreed  in 
favor  of  the  line  as  surveyed  and  established  in 
i860,  and  their  action  has  been  ratified  by  this 
State  and  we  believe  also  by  Connecticut." 

May  15,  1731,  a  patent  designed  to  convey  the 
whole  of  the  Oblong  Tract,  was  granted  in  London 
to  Sir  Joseph  Eyles,  Jonathan  Perrie,  John  Drum- 
mond  and  Thomas  Watts.  June  8,  1731,  a  patent 
for  the  greater  part  of  the  same  tract  was  granted 
by  the  Colonial  government  to  Thomas  Hawley 
and  others.  The  EngUsh  patentees  brought  a  bill 
in  chancery  to  repeal  the  latter ;  but  the  defend- 
ants filed  an  answer  containing  so  many  objec- 
tions against  the  EngHsh  patent  that  the  suit 
was  for  some  time  unprosecuted.  The  American 
patentees  maintained  possession,  though  the  con- 
troversy was  only  terminated  by  the  war  of  the 
Revolution. 

May  31,  1733,  in  conformity  with  the  petition  of 
the  English  patentees,  the  Oblong  was  annexed  to 
the  contiguous  counties  in  this  State.  December 
17,  1743,  South,  Beekmans,  Crom  Elbow  and 
North  Precincts  were  extended  across  the  tract 
to  the  Connecticut  Une;  and  March  9,  1774,  the 
patent  was  divided  into  lower,  middle  and  upper 
districts,  to  faciUtate  the  collection  of  quitrents. 

Many  of  the  old  patents  to  lands  were  very 
defective,  and  led  to  much  controversy  and  litiga- 
tion. The  Poughkeepsie  patent,  under  which  all 
the  owners  here  held  their  titles  proved  to  be 
fraudulent  and  the  occupants  finally  kept  their 
farms  solely  by  right  of  occupation.  Some 
of  the  others  were  very  absurd  and  had  to  be 
modified  to  prevent  insurrection.*  The  want 
of  knowledge  of  the  geography  of  the  country  led 
to  indefinite  boundaries  and  ambiguous  descrip- 
tions thereof  J  it  also  favored  the  fraudulent  prac- 
tices of  those  who  were  sufficiently  unscrupulous 
to  take  advantage  of  it.  A  communication  from 
Hon.  Cadwallader  Colden,  under  date  of  June  9, 

•Poughkeepsie  Weekly  Eagle,  July  8,  1876,  Col.  Hist.  IV.,  391,  396. 


1736,  to  Hon.  George  Clarke,  President  of  the 
Council  of  New  York,  who  was  "  deeply  interested 
in  large  tracts  of  land,"  sufficiently  indicates  these 
facts,  and  deprecates  the  practice  of  granting 
patents  in  England,  as  tending  to  that  confusion 
which  we  have  seen  was  occasioned  by  the  con- 
flicting patents  for  the  Oblong.     It  says : — 

"  It  is  very  difficult  for  the  King's  officers,  who 
live  in  the  Province,  to  guard  against  frauds  in 
petitioning  for  lands  described  by  natural  limits, 
such  as  brooks,  hills,  springs,  &c.,  though  actual 
surveys  be  made  previous  to  the  grant,  because  the 
names  of  such  places  being  in  the  Indian  tongue 
are  known  to  few  Christians,  so  that  the  proprietors 
afterwards  are  sometimes  tempted  to  put  those 
names  upon  other  places  that  they  think  more  con- 
venient for  them,  and  it  is  impossible  for  the  su- 
perior officers  to  guard  against  the  unfaithfulness 
of  those  that  they  are  under  a  necessity  of  em- 
ploying in  surveying  landfe  especially  in  remote 
parts  of  the  country.  Now  Sir,  if  it  be  so  diffi- 
cult for  the  officers  who  live  on  the  spot  to  pre- 
vent abuses,  how  much  greater  must  it  be  at  such 
a  distance  as  England  is  from  us,  where  the  situ- 
ation of  the  parts  of  this  Province  is  not  in  any 
manner  known,  and  how  great  will  the  temptations 
be  to  attempt  frauds.  Indeed  the  common  method 
of  obtaining  grants  of  land  in  this  country  is  at  so 
easy  a  rate  that  I  can  not  think  that  any  man  in 
this  country  would  endeavor  to  obtain  a  grant  in 
England  upon  the  usual  quitrents  unless  he  had 
something  private  in  view  which  he  thought  could 
not  be  kept  secret  in  this  country.  This  method 
of  granting  land  in  England  if  encouraged  must  of 
course  be  of  great  prejudice  to  the  settUng  of  the 
country  and  the  improving  of  the  uncultivated 
lands."* 

During  the  latter  half  of  the  eighteenth  century 
a  very  large  portion  of  the  settled  parts  of  this 
State  was  held  by  patroons  enjoying  manorial 
privileges,  and  the  cultivators  occupied  these  farms 
on  leases  for  one  or  more  lives,  or  from  year  to 
year,  stipulating  for  the  payment  of  rents,  dues 
and  services,  copied  from  the  feudal  tenures  of 
England  and  Holland.  Almost  every  incident  of 
the  tenures  in  socage  and  villenage  were  imposed 
by  contract  upon  the  manorial  tenants.  Purvey- 
ances, fines  for  alienation,  and  other  similar  con- 
ditions, burdened  most  of  the  farmers. 

Although  Duchess  county  as  at  present  bounded, 
was  not  burdened  with  manorial  patents,  like  the 
adjoining  county  of  Columbia,  the  counties  of 
Greene  and  Ulster  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  and  other  counties  in  the  State,  it  was  not 
entirely  free  from  the  evils  of  the  feudal  system 
which  was  transferred  from  Holland  and  England 
and  engrafted  upon   the  soil  of   this  State,  nor 


*  Col.  Hist.  VI.,  68. 


THE  FIRST  SETTLER  IN  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


55 


from  the  violence  which  they  engendered,  though 
the  violence  here  was  quite  insignificant  compared 
with  that  which  distressed  other  counties,  in  which 
armed  associations  of  anti-renters  opposed  the 
legal  authorities,  provoked  bloodshed,  and  finally 
developed  a  poUtical  party,  through  whose  agency 
the  wrongs  of  the  oppressed  tenants  were  re- 
dressed. 

From  an  article  in  the  Poughkeepsie  Weekly 
Eagle  of  July  8,  1876,  we  quote  what  is  said  in 
respect  to  the  disquieting  influences  of  this  move- 
ment in  this  county  : — 

"The  anti-rent  war  begun  in  Columbia  county 
in  1766,*  in  the  refusal  of  settlers  to  pay  rents 
claimed  by  the  original  proprietors,  and  soon 
spread  into  Duchess.  William  Pendergast,  of  Do- 
ver or  Pawling,  was  the  leader  of  the  dissatisfied 
settlers  in  this  county,  and  he  gathered  a  band 
under  him  who  threatened  to  resist  the  payment  by 
force  of  arms.  There  was  a  small  detachment  of 
British  regular  troops  stationed  at  Poughkeepsie 
and  to  enforce  his  authority  the  sheriff  was  com- 
pelled to  call  on  them.  Finally  a  body  of  insur- 
rectionists gathered  on  Quaker  Hill,  which  was  so 
formidable  that  two  hundred  men  and  two  field 
pieces  were  sent  from  New  York  to  re-inforce  the 
grenadiers  at  Poughkeepsie,  and  with  this  force  the 
outbreak  was  suppressed.  Pendergast  was  taken 
prisoner  and  brought  here  to  be  tried  for  high  trea- 
son. His  defense  was  conducted  by  himself  and 
wife,  the  latter  showing  so  much  abiUty  that  the 
Attorney  General  lost  his  temper  and  moved  that 
she  be  turned  out  of  court,  as  she  might  too  much 
influence  the  jury.  The  motion  was  denied  with 
a  sharp  rebuke  from  the  Judge ;  but  the  jury  found 
Pendergast  guilty  and  he  was  sentenced  to  be  hung. 
As  soon  as  the  result  was  announced,  his  wife,  who 
seems  to  have  been  a  woman  of  extraordinary  per- 
severance and  energy,  started  immediately  for  New 
York  to  ask  for  a  reprieve  from  the  Governor  until 
the  King  could  be  heard  from.  How  prompt  and 
efficient  she  was  in  what  she  undertook  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  she  went  to  New  York,  saw  the  Gov- 
ernor, got  the  reprieve,  and  returned  in  three  days, 
just  in  time  to  prevent  an  attenipt  by  his  followers 
to  rescue  him  that  would  probably  have  resulted 
unfavorably  in  the  end.  Such  a  woman  could 
hardly  be  expected  to  fail  in  what  she  undertook. 
She  followed  up  her  success  with  an  appUcation  to 
the  King  himself,  and  in  six  months  a  full  pardon 
came  from  George  III.,  and  Pendergast  and  his 
noble  wife  went  home  amid  great  rejoicings."t 

*  A  letter  from  Governor  Hardy  to  the  Lords  of  Trade,  Dec.  21, 1756, 
shows  that  violent  opposition  was  manifested  at  that  time  by  the. tenants 
on  Livingston  Manor,  and  that  Adam  Rypenberger,  a  poor  tenant  of  Mr. 
Livingston's,  who  accompanied  the  sheriflF  upon  summons  to  eject  a 
tenant  named  Hendrick  Brusies  or  Brusie,  was  shot.  Cal.  His.  VII., 
lob.—Dac.  His.  Ill,  818. 

t  These  disturbances  occurred  in  1766,  and  extended  to  what  then  con- 
stituted the  counties  of  Albany,  Duchess  and  Westchester.  They  were 
committed  by  an  organization  known  as  the  * '  Sons  of  Liberty,"  and  were 
not  quelled  without  bloodshed.— See  Col.  His.  yil.,  825,  84s,  846,  849, 
867,  879. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

First  Settlements  —  Traditions  Respecting 
Them — Projected  Settlement  of  New  Eng- 
landers  at  the  Mouth  of  Wappinger's  Creek 
— Nicholas  Emigh  Supposed  to  be  the  First 
Settler — Settlements  at  Poughkeepsie  and 
Rhinebeck — The  Palatines — Huguenot  Set- 
tlers— Environments  of  the  Pioneer  Set- 
tlers —  Progress  of  Settlement  —  First 
Census  of  Duchess  County,  17 14 — Freehold- 
ers in  Duchess  County  in  1740 — Descrip- 
tions of  the  County  in  1756  and  1813 — 
Population  of  County  at  Different  Periods 
from  17 14  to  1880 — Present  Status  of  the 
County — Enrollment  of  Quakers  in  1755 — 
Slaves  in  Duchess  County  in  1755 — Early 
Civil  Processes — Oaths  of  Abjuration  and 
Fealty  in  1760 — Observations  on  Duchess 
County  in  1780-82,  by  the  Marquis  De- 
Chastellux. 

AS  the  law  provided  that  all  lands  not  improved 
or  settled  "  in  three  years  or  some  other 
number  of  years  "  should  return  to  the  grantor,  we 
find  that  small  beginnings  were  made  in  various  parts 
of  the  county  soon  after  the  issue  of  these  patents 
for  lands.  The  precise  date  and  location  of  the 
first  settlement  is  not  definitely  known.  It  is  doubt- 
ful if  there  were  any  settlements  in  the  county 
prior  to  the  issuance  of  the  Rombout  Patent, 
though  tradition  asserts  that  there  were.f  It  is 
said  that  the  first  settler  was  a  man  named  Hoff- 
man, who  ran  away  from  a  Dutch  ship  of  war  in 
New  York  Harbor,  and  found  a  resting  place  some- 
where on  Wappinger's  Creek,  where  he  married 
and  raised  a  family.f  We  may,  doubtless,  trace  a 
connection  between  this  traditionary  individual 
and  a  Martinus  Hoffman,  whom  we  find  endeavor- 
ing to  conciliate  the  Indians,  one  of  whose  num- 
ber was  shot  by  a  white  man  at  Rhinebeck,  in  1 748.$ 
In  French's  State  Gazetteer  we  find  further  refer- 

*  A  writer  in  the  Poughkeepsie  Weekly  Eagle  of  July  8,  1876,  says : 
'*  There  is  evidence  that  some  part  of  Dutchess  county  was  occupied  dur- 
ing the  rule  of  the  Dutch  Governor,  Peter  Stuyvesant,  prior  to  1664. 
*  *  *  In  the  history  of  the  Esopus  war  with  the  Indians  in  1663, 
reference  is  made  to  Capt.  Covenhoven,  who  lived  among  the  Wappin- 
gers."  We  have  not  been  able  to  find  such  evidence.  Covenhoven  was, 
indeed,  an  active  participant  in  the  Second  Esopus  War,  and  was  sent  to 
release  the  prisoners  captured  by  the  Esopus  Indians  in  the  attack  on 
Wiltwyck.  In  the  performance  of  the  latter  office  he  "lay  several  days  near 
the  Wappinger  Indians  who  acted  as  mediators  in  the  affair ;  "  but  we  find 
nothing  to  indicate  that  he  ever  settled  among  them.  Benson  J.  Lossing, 
LL.D.,  in  Sketches  of  Local  History,  published  in  The  Dutchess  Farmer 
of  Dec.  12,  1876,  says,  when  the  county  was  organized,  in  1683,  **  there 
were  no  white  inhabitants  on  the  domain." 

\  Poughkeepsie  Weekly  Eagle,  July  8,  1876. 

X  Col.  Hist.  VII,  ISO. 


56 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


ence  to  this  individual,  in  the  following  copy  of  a 
-  letter,  now  in  possession  of  T.  Van  Wyck  Brinker- 
hoff,  of  East  Fishkill  :— 

"  In  the  year  1833, 1  saw  Isaac  Upton,  a  coaster 
from  Newport,  who  informed  me  that  about  1760 
he  came  up  the  North  River  to  Poughkeepsie,  and, 
in  company  with  another  person,  went  to  Mabbitt's 
store,  in  Washington,  on  business.  That  on  their 
return,  they  took  a  circuitous  route  from  Pleasant 
Valley,  and  passed  a  German  by  the  name  of 
Hoffman,  who  was  then  118  years  old.  He  sup- 
posed himself  to  be  the  first  white  settler  in  Duch- 
ess county ;  and  that,  when  young,  he  deserted 
from  a  Dutch  ship  of  war  in  New  York,  squatted 
where  he  then  lived,  built  him  a  shanty,  and  lived 
a  number  of  years  a  solitary  life  without  being  able 
to  find  a  white  woman  for  a  wife  ;  that  afterward, 
finding  a  German  family  at  Rhinebeck,  he  married, 
and  had  lived  where  he  then  was  to  that  advanced 
age.  I  was  informed  that  he  died  two  years  after- 
ward, at  120  years.     (Signed,)    Paul  Upton." 

A  settlement  was  projected  in  the  county  as 
early  as  1659,  and  had  it  been  successful,  would 
doubtless  have  changed  the  preponderating  charac- 
ter of  the  early  settlers.  But  it  was  destined  to  fail. 
In  that  year,  in  consonance  with  the  spirit  of  en- 
croachment which  more  especially  characterized 
the  settlers  in  Connecticut,  Massachusetts  claiming 
under  her  charter  the  country  north  of  the  42d°  of 
latitude  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  granted  "  a 
plantation  in  the  neighborhood  of  Fort  Orange,  to 
several  persons  of  respectability  residing  within  her 
jurisdiction."  With  a  view  to  locating  this  grant, 
an  exploring  party  proceeded  during  the  summer 
to  Beverwyck,  (Albany,)  and  after  examining  most 
of  the  lands  along  the  east  bank  of  the  Hudson, 
they  announced  their  intention  to  establish  a  vil- 
lage near  the  mouth  of  Wappinger  Creek,  "  where 
the  country,  in  point  of  beauty  and  fertility,  sur- 
passed anything  they  had  seen  in  the  East."  As 
this  spot  was  a  great  distance  from  the  settled 
parts  of  New  England,  and  difficult  of  access,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  intervening  wilderness,  the  project- 
ors applied  to  the  Dutch  authorities  for  leave  to 
proceed  thither  by  the  North  River.  Director 
Stuyvesant,  foreseeing  the  injury  which  such  an 
establishment  would  work  on  the  Dutch  interests 
in  New  Netherland,  determined  to  anticipate  their 
project  by  purchasing  the  lands  and  establish 
thereon  a  village  of  some  twenty-five  or  thirty 
families.  He  therefore  wrote  to  the  directors  of 
the  Dutch  West  India  Company,  urging  them  to 
send  hither,  by  the  first  vessels,  a  colony  of  Polish, 
Lutheran,  Prussian,  Dutch  or  Flemish  peasants. 

TLe  Englishmen,  in  the  meantime,  obtained 
from  the  commissioners  of  the  United  Colonies 


letters  to  Director  Stuyvesant,  soliciting  in  th< 
behalf  the  right  of  passage  through  the  Hudso 
Stuyvesant,  not  unmindful  of  the  experience  with 
the   Connecticut    colonists    on    the   Connecticut 
River,  determined  to  oppose  a  repetition  of  that 
experience   by  all  the   means   within   his   power. 
Conscious  of  his   inability  to  coerce  compliance, 
he  sought  to  avert  the  misfortune  by  an  explana- 
tion of  the  reasons  which  impelled  him  to  refuse. 
These,  however,  did  not  satisfy  the  General  Court 
at  Boston,  for  they  immediately  sent  a  deputation 
"  to  communicate  their  honest  intentions  in  this 
matter,    and   to   demonstrate    the   equity   of  the 
motion   of    the   commissioners   in    their    behaf." 
They  asserted  their  intention  to   plant   the  land 
about  the  upper  waters  of  the  Hudson,  not  actually 
in   possession   of  the    Dutch,    and   affirmed   that 
permission  to  pass  the  Hudson  should  not  preju- 
dice the  rights  of  the  Dutch.     A  wordy  encounter 
ensued,  during  which  Stuyvesant  declared  that  he 
could  not  grant  the  right  of  free  passage  through 
their  rivers  to  Massachusetts,  nor  any  other  govern- 
ment,  "  without  a  surrender  of  their  honor,  repu- 
tation, property  and  blood,  their  bodies  and  lives." 
"  Circumstances,    however,  interposed,  and  for  a 
moment  interrupted  the  designs  of  the  New  Eng- 
enders.    A  revolution  restored  monarchy  to  Eng- 
land, and  those   of  Boston   abandoned,   for  the 
time,   the  design  of  seizing  on  the  North  River." 
The  first  settlement  of  which  we  have  authentic 
information   was  made   in   Fishkill,  by   Nicholas 
Emigh  or  Eighmie,  but  authorities  differ  as  to  the 
date  of  settlement.     One  author*  says  he  came  in 
1682,  "  and  bought  a  tract  of  land  of  the  Indians, 
but  finding  it  already  covered  by  a  patent,  he  repur-; 
chased  of  those  holding  it  a  portion   of  what  is 
known  as  the  Clove,  near  the  middle  of  the  county, 
where  he  settled  and  where  some  of , his  descend- 
ants  still  remain."     Says  Mr.  Lossing,  in  Sketches 
of  Local  History,  before  refererred  to,  Emigh  (whose 
father  a  native  of  Holstein  on  the  borders  of  Hol- 
land, had  followed  Prince  RupeFt  into  England  in 
the  time  of  the  Civil  War,  and  remained  in  Scot- 
land,) came  to  this  country  in  1686,  at  the  instance 
of  Robert   Livingston,    "a  landless,   but  shrewd 
adventurer  from  Scotland,"  who,  in  1683,  married 
Alida,  the  young   widow   of  Rev.    Nicolaus  Van 
Rensselaer  and  daughter  of  Philip  Pietersen  Schuy- 
ler, (the  first  of  the  Schuyler  family  who  settled  in 
this  country,)  and  with  her  money  bought  an  im- 
mense tract  of  land  on  the  north  border  of''this 
county,  to  which  that  portion  lying  west  of  Roelaff 

*Pmgkkeepsie  Weekly  Eagle,  July  S,  i«75. 


EARLY  SETTLEMENTS  IN  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


57 


Jansen's  Creek,  comprising  the  present  towns  of 
Clermont  and  Germantown,  formerly  belonged. 

Settlement  under  Robert  Livingston,  whose 
family  filled  a  conspicuous  niche  in  our  colonial  and 
revolutionary  history,  commenced  prior  to  1686, 
but  apparently  made  slow  progress;  for  Earl 
Bellomont,  in  a  letter  to  the  Board  of  Trade, 
dated  January  2,  1701,  says  of  it :  "Mr.  Living- 
ston has  on  his  great  grant  of  sixteen  miles  long 
and  twenty-four  broad,  but  four  or  five  cottagers, 
as  I  am  told ;  men  that  live  in  vassalage  under  and 
work  for  him  and  are  too  poor  to  be  farmers, 
having  not  wherewithall  to  buy  cattle  to  stock  a 
farm."     , 

Under  such  harsh  conditions  were  the  fortunes 
of  our  pioneer  settler — ^young  Emigh — cast,  and  we 
need  not  wonder  that  he  became  dissatisfied,  and 
left  the  Livingston  domain.  He  bought  an  island 
in  the  Hudson  just  below  Albany  and  settled  on  it 
with  his  young  wife,  a  pretty  Dutch  lass  from  Hol- 
stein,  whom  he  courted  and  married  on  the  long 
ocean  voyage  to  America.  But  there  they  were 
drowned  out  the  next  spring  by  a  Mohawk  flood, 
and  removed  to  the  site  of  Fishkill,  where  he 
bought  of  the  Indians  a  tract  of  land  extending 
from  the  Fishkill  to  Poughkeepsie,  and  from  the 
Hudson  to  the  Connecticut  line.  Here  also  he 
had, the  misfortune  to  locate  on  land  covered  by 
patent ;  for  the  island  on  which  he  previously  set- 
tled, constituted  a  part  of  the  Manor  of  Rensse- 
laerwyck.  He  subsequently  removed  to,  and  pur- 
chased of  the  patentees,  a  large  tract  of  land  in 
the  Clove,  some  of  which  is  still  in  the  possession 
of  his  descendants. 

During  their  residence  in  Fishkill  his  wife  gave 
birth  to  a  daughter,  who  received  the  name  of 
Katrina,  and  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  the 
county.  At  maturity  she  married  a  young  Hol- 
lander named  Lasink,  (Lossing,)  who  moved  up 
from  New  York  about  1700.  The  young  couple 
settled  in  the  town  of  East  Fishkill,  where  they 
raised  a  family  of  eight  children — four  sons  and 
four  daughters — who  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  the 
seven  younger  ones  surviving  the  oldest,  who  died 
when  the  youngest  was  seventy-five  years  old. 
From  this  family  descended  the  distinguished  his- 
torian Benson  J.  Lossing,  LL.  D.,  of  Dover. 

The  settlements  in  Poughkeepsie  and  Rhinebeck 
were  nearly  contemporaneous  with  those  in  Fishkill. 
At  Rhinebeck  a  considerable  number  of  Palatines 
had  settled  in  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury. They,  were  German  refugees  from  the  banks 
of  the  Neckar  and  the  Rhine,  who  were  hired  of 


the  Elector  of  the  Palatinate  by  Queen  Anne,  and 
served  in  her  army  during  the  war  of  the  Spanish 
succession,  1702-1713.  In  1709,  the  project  of 
establishing  them  in  the  English- American  colonies 
was  broached;  and  in  the  summer  of  17 10,  a  col- 
ony numbering  2,227  arrived  in  New  York,  and 
were  located  in  five  villages,  on  either  side  of  the 
Hudson,  those  upon  the  east  side  being  designated 
as  East  Camp,  and  those  upon  the  west,  as  West 
Camp.  Three  of  these  villages  were  located  on 
six  thousand  acres  of  land,  which  originally  con- 
stituted the  town  of  Germantown,  in  Columbia 
County,  and  were  purchased  of  Robert  Livingston 
by  Gov.  Robert  Hunter,  Sept.  29,  17 10,  because, 
from  the  growth  of  pine  timber  they  bore,  they 
were  especially  adapted  to  the  industry  in  which  it 
was  designed  to  employ  the  Palatines,  viz  :  raising 
hemp  and  making  tar,  pitch  and  resin  for  the  royal 
navy.  The  other  two  villages  were  located  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river,  in  Ulster  County,  on 
lands  which  were  then  unpatented.  This  little  col- 
ony received  many  marks  of  the  kind  care  and 
beneficence  of  Queen  Anne,  under  whose  special 
patronage  it  was  planted.  The  management  of 
their  affairs  was  entrusted  to  a  board  of  com- 
missioners, consisting  of  Robert  Livingston,  Rich- 
ard Sackett,*  John  Cast,  Godfrey  Walsen,  Andrew 
Bagger  and  Henry  Schureman.  The  first  settle- 
ments commenced  by  small  lodges  or  temporary 
huts,  each  of  which  was  placed  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  some  principal  man,  from  whom  they 
took  their  local  names,  with  the  addition  of  dorf, 
the  German  word  for  village.  The  names  by  which 
they  were  officially  known,  however,  were  Anns- 
berry,  from  Queen  Anne ;  Haysberry,  after  Lady 
Hay,  wife  of  Governor  Hunter;  Htmterstown, 
after  Gov.  Hunter ;  Queensberry,  after  the  Queen, 
&c.  Their  numbers  in  the  respective  villages  May 
I,  1711,  were  as  follows: — 

ON  EAST  SIDE. 

Hunterstown 334 

Queensberry 350 

Annsberry 252 

Haysberry 258 

1194 

ON  WEST  SIDE. 

Ehzabethtown 148 

Georgetown in 

New  Village 324 

583 

1777 

*  Richard  Sackett  was  one  of  the  patentees  of  the  Little  Nine  Partners 
Tract,  and  the  pioneer  settler  of  Amenia,  where  he  located  early  in  the 
century. 


S8 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


The  enterprise,  however,  proved  unsuccessful, 
for  the  Palatines  soon  became  restive  under  the 
restraints  imposed  on  them.  They  scattered,  many 
of  them  removing  to  the  Mohawk  and  Schoharie 
valleys,  and  some,  as  we  have  seen,  to  Rhinebeck. 
The  six  thousand  acre  tract  was  subsequently 
granted  to  those  willing  to  remain  on  it,  (for  some 
were  restrained  there  against  their  wish,)  in  accord- 
ance with  the  petition  of  Jacob  S.  Sharp  and  Chris- 
tophel  Hagadorn,  in  behalf  of  sixty-three  famiUes 
so  inclined,  to  whom  was  secured  the  tracts  on 
which  they  had  settled  and  made  improvements,  on 
the  payment  of  the  usual  quitrent.  In  1718,  these 
Palatine  farpiUes  were  distributed*  as  follows:— 

ON  EAST  SIDE. 

Hunterstown 25  families,  109  persons. 

Kingsberry 33       "  t04        " 

Annsberry i?       "  71 

Haysberry 16       "  75        " 

Rheinbeck 35       "  140       " 

ON  WEST  SIDE. 

New  Town 14  families,     56  persons. 

George  Town 13  "  52  " 

EUzab :  Town 9  "  36  " 

Kings  town 15  "  60  " 

Wessels  pretended  land.     7  "  28  " 

Kingstown  Sopes 10  "  4°  " 

At  New  York  and  places 

adjacent 30  "  150 

In  Seven  Townships  in 

Schoharie 170  "  680  " 

Among  the  early  settlers  was  a  considerable 
number  of  Huguenots,  fragments  of  that  terribly 
persecuted  class  who  fled  from  France  on  the  re- 
vocation of  the  Edict  of  Nantes  by  Louis  XIV.,  in 
1685,  to  the  number  of  eight  hundred  thousand, 
and  took  refuge  in  Holland,  Germany,  Switzerland 
and  England,  whence  many  emigrated  to  this  coun- 
try, locating  most  numerously  in  this  State  in  the 
counties  of  Orange  and  Ulster,  though  the  most 
opulent  settled  in  the  city  of  New  York.  They 
were  a  most  valuable  acquisition  to  the  feeble  set- 
tlements in  this  vicinity;  for  their  industry  and 
skill  made  them  welcome  in  every  Protestant  coun- 
try, and  contributed  largely  to  the  development 
not  only  of  the  physical  features  of  the  country,  but 
also  of  the  liberal  tendencies  of  the  people.  They 
introduced  into  England  arts  of  which  France  had 
hitherto  enjoyed  a  monopoly,  and  into  North  Ger- 
many, manufactures  which,  hitherto  unknown,  put. 
a  new  aspect  on  that  country ;  their  persecutions 
awakened  the  religious  sympathies  of  New  Eng- 
land, and  their  skill  and  intelligence  infused  energy 
and  system  into  whatever  they  undertook. 

*  This  list  does  not  include  the  widows  and  orphans.    See  Colonial  and 
Documentary  Histories  of  New  York. 


While  the  Dutch  settlers  were  striking  sturdy 
blows  in  the  reclamation  of  the  wilderness  which 
marred  the  beautiful  and  fertile  valleys  of  the  west- 
ern portion  of  the  county,  the  enterprising  New 
England  colonists,  especially  of  Connecticut,  were 
forcing  a  passage  across  rugged  mountain  peaks 
and  planting  the  evidences  of  advancing  civiUza- 
tion  in  its  eastern  wilds.  Thus  we  find  in  the  con- 
stituent elements  of  the  population  a  healthy  com- 
mingUng  of  that  volatile  enterprise  characteristic 
of  the  New  England  yeomanry  and  the  sterling 
qualities  and  plodding  energy  of  the  more  phleg- 
matic Dutch  burghers. 

The  first  settlers  were  generally  poor  and  de- 
voted to  husbandry.  They  sought  here  homes 
and  subsistence  for  themselves  and  famihes,  such 
as  could  be  coaxed  in  an  humble  way  from  the 
fruitful  soil,  which  rewarded  abundantly  even  a 
moderate  industry.  Their  beginnings  were  of  a 
most  primitive  character.-  Their  wants  were  few 
and  little  sufficed  to  supply  them ;  for  their  simple 
lives  were  not  cursed  with  the  artificial  wants  which 
tax  the  energies  of  the  present  generation.  Cor- 
nells VanTienhoven,  Secretary  of  the  Province  of 
New  Netherland,  thus  describes  the  houses  which 
prevailed  in  1650,  nearly  forty  years  before  the 
rude  beginnings  were  made  in  this  county : — 

"  Those  in  New  Netherland  and  especially  in 
New  England,  who  have  no  means  to  build'farm 
houses  at  first  according  to  their  wishes,  dig  a 
square  pit  in  the  ground,  cellar  fashion,  six  or  seven 
feet  deep,  as  long  and  as  broad  as  they  think 
proper,  case  the  inside  with  wood  all  round  the 
wall,  and  Une  the  wood  with  bark  of  trees  or  some- 
thing else  to  prevent  the  caving  in  of  the  earth  ; 
floor  this  cellar  with  plank  and  wainscot  it  over- 
head for  a  ceiling,  raise  a  roof  of  spars  clear  up 
and  cover  the  spars  with  bark  or  green  sods,  so 
that  they  can  live  dry  and  warm  in  these  houses 
with  their  entire  families  for  two,  t^ee  and  four 
years,  it  being  understood  that  partitions  are  run 
through  those  cellars  which  are  adapted  to  the  size 
of  the  family.  The  wealthy  and  principal  men  in 
New  England,  in  the  beginning  of  the  colonies, 
commenced  their  first  dweUing  houses  in  this  fashion 
for  two  reasons ;  firstly,  in  order  not  to  waste  time 
building  and  not  to  want  for  food  the  next  season ; 
secondly,  in  order  not  to  discourage  poorer  labor- 
ing people  whom  they  brought  over  in  numbers 
from  Fatherland.  In  the  course  of  three  and  four 
years,  when  the  country  became  adapted  to  agri- 
culture, they  built  themselves  handsome  houses, 
spending  on  them  several  thousands." 

It  is  not  improbable  that  such  were  the  houses 

in  which  the  families  of  the  pioneers  in  this  county 

were  first  domiciled,  for  we  have  evidence  of  their 

I   extreme  poverty  in  the  fact  that  when,  in  1702,  the 


EARLY  GROWTH  OF  DUCHESS  COUNT V  RETARDED. 


59 


Assembly  voted  £  i,8oo  for  the  support  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty  men  to  defend  the  frontiers, 
such  was  then  the  known  indigence  of  the 
people  of  Duchess  county,  "that  but  eighteen 
pounds  were  apportioned  for  their  quota  of  these 
levies,"  while  a/w  rata  amount  by  counties  would 
have  been  ;^iSo. 

For  many  years  the  progress  of  settlement  was 
slow,  and  not  until  near  the  middle  of  the  eight- 
eenth century  did  the  county  become  entitled  to 
that  proud  distinction  of  being  "populous  and 
flourishing,"  as  Judge  Smith  calls  it  in  1756,  when 
it  had  become  the  second  county  in  the  Province 
in  population,  though  only  seventh  in  wealth.  The 
settlement  was  begun  in  the  midst  of  that  bitter 
struggle  between  republicanism  and  monarchy 
which  evolved  the  revolution  by  which  the  Prince 
of  Orange  ascended  the  English  throne  in  1688. 
The  English-American  colonies  sympathized  with 
the  movement  in  England,  and  chafed  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  detested  Andros,  which  then  ex- 
tended to  New  England,  New  York  and  New  Jer- 
sey. The  news  of  the  Prince's  invasion  of  Eng- 
land reached  America  in' April,  1689;  and  the  pre- 
viously matured  movement  which  abolished  the 
Andros  government  and  restored  to  the  colonies 
their  charter  rights  was  speedily  consummated. 
New  York  shared  the  impulse  but  with  less  una- 
nimity, and  the  common  people  among  the  Dutch, 
led  by  Jacob  Leisler  and  his  son-in-law,  Jacob  Mil- 
borne,  proclaimed  the  stadtholder,  King  of  Eng- 
land. The  bitter  dissensions  incident  to  the  gov- 
ernmental changes  wrought  by  this  revolution, 
especially  in  this  State,  resulting,  as  they  did  in. 
the  execution  of  these  leaders  in  1691,  through  the 
perfidy  of  the  faction  who  opposed  the  assumed 
authority  of  Leisler,  and  came  into  power  with  the 
advent  of  Col.  Sloughter  as  Governor  in  that  year, 
were  not  calculated  to  promote  internal  growth. 
The  activity  of  the  French  at  this  period,  also,  was 
particularly  distressing  to  the  border  settlements, 
and  Schenectady  was  sacked  and  burned  on  the 
night  of  February  9,  1690.  This  disaster  was  so 
disheartening  to  the  people  of  Albany  that  they 
resolved  to  abandon  the  place  and  retire  to  New 
York.  Many  were  only  deterred  from  doiiig  so  by 
the  reproaches  of  the  Mohawks,  who  had,  during 
all  these  years,  been  the  faithful  allies  of  the  En- 
glish, and,  in  conjunction  with  the  other  Iroquois 
nations,  borne  the  brunt  of  French  hostile  aggres- 
sion. 

The  contentions  between  Leislerian  and  anti- 
Leisletian  factions  were  protracted  and  acrimoni- 


ous, and  lent  interest  and  animation  to  the  Assem- 
bly elections  for  years.  It  was  during  this  period, 
in  1 701,  that  Duchess  County,  which  had  hitherto 
been  thought  "incapable  of  bearing  the  charge  of 
a  representation,"  "  animated  by  the  heat  of  the 
times,  sent  Jacob  Rutsen  and  Adrien  Garretsen  to 
represent  them  in  assembly." 

September  10,  1692,  Duchess  and  Ulster  Coun- 
ties were  required  to  raise  eighty  men  for  the  pro- 
tection of  Albany  from  the  Indians  during  the 
winter,*  and  in  April,  1693,  the  militia  of  these 
two  counties,  then  commanded  by  Lieut. -Col. 
Henry  Beekman,  a  Justice  in  Ulster  County,  num- 
bered 277,  and  consisted  of  four  companies  of  foot 
and  one  of  dragoons.  We  have  no  means  of  know- 
ing how  many  of  these  belonged  to  Duchess, 
though  there  is  little  doubt  that  the  number  was 
small. 

In  1700,  the  miUtia  of  the  two  counties  com- 
prised 325  men,  who  were  formed  into  seven 
companies  of  foot  and  one  of  horse,  under  com- 
mand of  Lieut.-Col.  Jacob  Rutsen,  who  repre- 
sented Duchess  in  the  Assembly  in  1701.  A  list 
of  the  officers  in  this  year  (1700)  gives  the  earliest 
official  list  of  names  which  has  come  under  our 
observation.  We  believe,  however,  that  only  thi'ee 
belonged  to  this  county,  viz :  Capt.  Baltus  Van 
Cleet,  [Kleek,]  Lieut.  Mattyse  Sleight^and  Ensign 
John.Ter  Bus  [Boss.j  In  1698,  the  population  of 
the  two  counties  was  1,384;  in  1703,  1,669  ;f  and 
when  we  consider  the  fact  that  the  population  of 
Ulster  alone  in  1700  was  2,005,  '^^  ^^Y  reasonably 
conclude  that  Duchess  County's  share  in  these  fig- 
ures was  indeed  small. 

In  1 7 14,  we  are  first  given  a  detached  census  of 
Duchess  County,  which  had  then  acquired  govern- 
mental functions  of  her  own.  The  document  is 
one  of  great  value  in  a  historic  point  of  view,  as  it 
gives  us  the  names  of  the  sixty-seven  heads  of 
families  then  resident  in  the  county,  (which,  it 
must  be  understood,  embraced  what  is  now  Put- 
nam County,  and  the  towns  of  Clermont  and  Ger- 
mantown  in  Columbia  County,)  and  the  status  of 
their  families.  The  total  number  of  souls  was  445, 
of  whom  29  were  slaves.  We  deem  the  document 
of  sufficient  importance  to  be  transcribed  to  these 
pages.  The  names  are  familiar  ones  to  the  resi- 
dents of  the  county,  and  many  of  them  are  per- 
petuated to  the  present  generation. 

*  Duchess  County  was  for  some  years  provisionally  attaclied  to  Ulster 
on  account  of  the  paucity  of  its  inhabitants. 

t  In  Doc.  Hist.  III.,  966,  this  is  stated  to  be  the  population  of  Ulster 
County  alone ;  and  the  number  is  made  up  of  the  residents  of  Pals, 
(Paltz,)  Rochester,  Marbletown,  Hurley  and  Kingstown,  thus  proving  that 
the  population  of  Duchess  is  not  included. 


6o 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


A  List  of  the  Inhabttants  and  Slaves  in  the 
County  of  Duchess  in  17 14. 


names. 


Jacob  Kip ;  ■  • 

Jacob  Plowgh 

Matieis  Slejt  

Evert  Van Wagenen 

Whilliam  Ostrander 

Lowrans  Ostrout 

Peter  Palmater        ..    .     . 

Maghell  Pallmatir 

William  Tetsort 

Hendrick  Pells  

Peter  Vely , 

John  Kip        

Elena  Van  Be  Bogart 

John  De  Grave  

Lenard  Lewis  

Bartolumus  Hoogenboom  . . 

Baltus  Van  Kleck 

Frans  Le  Roy 

Bareiit  Van  Kleck    

John  Ostrom 

Harmen  Rinders 

Meindert  Van  Ben  Bogart. 

Johanes  Van  Kleck 

Lenar  Le  Roy — 

Swart  Van  Wagenen 

Henry  Van  Ber  Burgh  . .  . 

Elias  Van  Bunchoten 

Thftmas  -  Sanders 

Catrine  Lasink  Wedo 

Peter Lasink ... 

-ey  Scouten., 


Mellen  Springsteen 

Johnes  Terbots 

John  Beuys  

Abram  Beuys  

Garatt  Van  Vleit 

William  Outen 

Andreis  Baivedes 

Frans  Be  Langen 

Aret  Masten        . ...-    ... 

James  Husey        

Roger  Brett 

Peter  De  Boyes    

Isack  Hendricks  

John  Breines  . .  , 

Jeurey  Springsten 

Peck  De  Wit  

Adaam  Van  alsted 

Cellitiekool 

Harmen  Knickerbacker  . . . 
Johanis  Byckman  Sienjer  . 
Jacob  Hoghtelingh  . . . 

Dirck  Wesselse 

WillemSchot ., 

Jacob  Vosburgh 

Tunis  Pieierse  

henderick  bretsiert 

Roelif  Buijtse'r  .  . . 

Johannis  Spoor  Junjoor    . . 

Abraham  vosburgh 

Abraham  Van  Busen 

Willem  Wijt        

Louwerens  knickerbacker. . . 

henderck  Sissum 

Aenderis  Gerdener 

Gysbert  Oosterhout 

Johannis  Byckman  Junjor. . 


Total., 


89  *I20 


a 


iz; 


97 


98 


*The  third  column  foots  up  to  121,  and  the  seventh,  to  30,  which  would 
make  the  total  number  447 ;  but  the  error  probably  occurs  in  the  columns, 
though  the  above  is  a  copy  of  the  table. 

The  next  census  of  Duchess,  taken  in  1723, 
gives  the  county  a  population  of  1,083.  Of  this 
numter  43  were  "  negroes  and  other  slaves."  In 
1731,  the  population  had  increased  to  1,727,  of 


whom  112  were  "blacks."  Up  to  this  period 
Duchess  was  the  least  populous  county  in  the 
Province;  but  in  1737,  with  a  population  of  3,418, 
of  whom  262  were  "blacks,"'  it  outranked  Kings, 
Orange  and  Richmond.  June  2,  1738,  Lieut.-Gov. 
Clarke,  in  answer  to  queries  from  the  Board  of 
Trade,  states  the  population  of  the  county,  "  ex- 
cept the  High  Lands,"  to  be  3,086,  including  262 
"  blacks ;"  so  that  here  we  have  approximately  the 
population  of  the  county,  as  at  present  constituted, 
at  that  period.  In  1740,  we  have  a  "list  of  the 
freeholders  "  in  the  county,  certified  by  "Ja.  Wilson, 
Sheriff."  They  number  235.  In  no  other  form 
have  we  so  many  of  the  names  of  the  settlers  of 
that  early  period.  Their  honorable  connection 
with  the  history  of  the  county  as  the  pioneers  in 
its  subjugation  from  the  wilderness  they  found  it,  to 
the  fair  Eden  as  their  descenaants  now  enjoyit,  is 
sufficient  to  raise  them  from  the  vale  of  personal 
obscurity  in  which  many  of  them  doubtless  lived, 
and  justly  entitles  them  to  recognition  in  these 
pages.  We  transcribe  and  thus  hand  down  to 
posterity  the  names  *  of  this  venerated  band,  as 
follows : — 

Henry  Beekman,  Hendrick  Sheffer, 

Lowr'nce  Kneckerbacker,Peter  Oostrander, 
Nicholas  Hoffman,  Benjamin  Van  Steenberg, 

Martinus  Hoffman,  Hans  felte  Sheffer, 

Barent  Van  Benthuysen,  Willem  Freer, 


Philip  Londen, 
Hendrick  Kip, 
Nicholas  Row, 
Jury  Soefelt, 
Zacharias  Haber, 
Fredricke  Sipperly, 
Johannis  Spaller, 
Jury  Feder, 
William  Cole, 
Hans  Heyner, 
Johannis  P.  Snyder, 
Johannis  Backus, 
Hans  felte  Wollever, 
Hans  Lambert, 
Joseph  Rykert, 
Adam  Oostrander, 
Simon  Kool, 
Godfreed  Hendrick, 
Wendel  Yager, 
Jacob  Drom, 
Martinus  Shoe, 
Jury  Adam  Soefelt, 
Philip  foelandt, 
Andries  Widerwox, 
Frau  Neker, 
Christophell  Snyder, 
Marten  Tiel, 
Arnout  Viele, 


Teunis  Freer, 
Jury  Ackert, 
Evert  Knickerbacker, 
Nicholas  Bonesteel, 
Jacobus  Van  Etten,  Junr., 
Basteaan  Trever, 
Coenradt  Befringer, 
Wendell  polver, 
Peter  Van  Etten, 
William  Simon, 
William  Scott, 
Michaell  Sipf)erly, 
David  Richart, 
Jacob  Mowl, 
Mathys  Earnest, 
Andries*  Hermans, 
Michael  Polver, 
Johannis  Weaver, 
Wm.  Van  Vreedinburgh, 
Johannis  Kip,  * 

Arie  Hendrickse, 
Wm.  Van  Vreedingburgh, 
Isaac  Kip,  [Junr., 

Roeloflf  Kip, 
Jacob  Kip, 

Abraham  Kip,  « 

Mathys  Sleght, 
Evert  Van  Wagenen, 


*r)i,c.  Hist.  I.,  bgi,  694  ;  /K,  184,  205  ;  Col.  Hist.  F.,  702,  929  ;  VI., 
133— 134. 


LIST  OF  FREEHOLDERS  IN  1740. 


61 


Lowrence  Tiel, 
Jacob  Cool, 
Philip  More, 
Jan  Van  Benthuysen, 
Zacharias  Smith, 
Josias  Ross, 
Gysbert  Westfall, 
Henry  Filkin, 
Francis  Hagaman, 
John  Gay, 
Isaac  Filkin, 
Jan  Ostrom, 
Roeloif  Ostrom, 
Simoh  Flegelaer, 
Augustine  Creed, 
Jacob  Hoff, 
Lowrence  Hoff, 
Isaac  Germain, 
Isaac  Germain,  Junr., 
Josias  Crego, 
Isaac  Tietsort, 
Richard  Sackett, 
Gerret  E.  Van  Wagenen. 
Isaac  Runnells, 
Isaac  Runnells,  Junr., 
Frans  Van  Dyck, 
Nehemiah  Runnells, 
Nicholas  Van  Wagenen, 
Peter  Palmer, 
Nathaniell  Marshall, 
Joseph  Palmer, 
Jacob  Van  Campen, 
John  Runnells, 
Samuell  Palmer, 
Joshua  Palmer, 
Manuell  Gonselesduck, 
William  Palmer, 
Peter  Lassing, 
Isaac  Lassing, 
Wilham  Lassing, 
Christophell  Van  Bomell, 
Arie  Van  Vliet, 
JohannisVan  Benthuys'n, 
William  Syfer, 
William  Smith  Secundus, 
Alexander  Griggs, 
Jacobus  De  Yeo, 
James  Auchmoty, 
Samuell  Mathews, 
George  Ellsworth, 
Johannis  DoUson, 
Jacob  De  Witt, 
David  De  Dutcher, 
John  Cook, 
John  Carman, 
Nicholas  Koens, 
Nicholas  Emigh, 
Hendrick  Owl, 
Mosis  Nauthrup, 
Stephen  Crego, 
Peter  Simpson, 
John  Gamble, 
William  Humphreys, 
Francis  Nellson, 


Goese  Van  Wagenen, 
Hendrickus  Heermans, 
Lowrence  Oosterhout, 
Peter  Tippell, 
Albartus  Shriver, 
Stephen  Frelick, 
Arent  Oostrander, 
PhiUp  Feller, 
Jacob  Van  Wagenen, 
Lewis  Du  Bois, 
Mathys  Du  Bois, 
Marcus  Van  Bomell, 
Rudolphus  Swartwoudt, 
Mathewis  Van  Keuren, 
Hendrick  Willsie, 
Elias  Van  Buntschoten, 
Jacobus  Van  Bomell, 
Thomas  Lewis, 
Henry  Vandenburgh, 
John  Concklin, 
Jacob  Low, 
Johannis  Van  Kleek, 
Simon  Freer, 
Mosis  De  GraafF, 
Barnardus  Swartwoudt, 
Johannis  Tappon, 
Myndert  Vandenbogart, 
Hendrick  Ostrom, 
Barent  Van  Kleek, 
Frans  La  Roy, 
Lowrence  Van  Kleek, 
Jacobus  Van  Den  Bogart, 
Frans  Filkin, 
Bowdewine  La  Count, 
Lowrence  Gerbrantz, 
Robert  Kidney, 
Peter  Veile, 
John  Emons, 
Magiel  Pells, 
Abraham  Freer,  Junr., 
Peter  Palmatier, 
Gybsert  Peelen, 
John  Lossee, 
Johannis  Willsie, 
Johannis  Ter  Boss, 
Isaac  DoUson, 
Teunis  Van  Vliet, 
Hendrick  Van  Tessell, 
Hendrick  Ter  Boss, 
Robert  Britt, 
Jacobus  Ter  Boss, 
Cornelis  Van  Wyck, 
Francis  Britt, 
Hendrick  Rosekrans, 
Thomas  Langdon, 
John  Baily, 
Christian  Du  Bois, 
Jacobus  Swartwout, 
Theodorus  Van  Wyck, 
Benjamin  Hasbrook, 
Willem  Schutt, 
George  Brinckerhoff, 
Daniell  Boss, 
Ephraime  Bloome, 


Thomas  Davinport, 

Isaac  Van  Amburgh, 

Peter  Du  Bois,  Junr., 

Cornelis  Bogardus, 

Jacobus  De  Peyster, 

John  Calkin,  Junr., 

Johannis  Van  Voorhees. 

Coert  Van  Voorhees, 

Johannis  Van  Voorhees,  William  Drake, 

Hendrick  Philip,  [Junr.,  Joshua  Griffen, 


John  Brinckerhoff, 
Cornelis  Lossee, 
Lowrence  Lossee, 
Jonathan  Du  Bois, 
Jacob  Du  Bois, 
John  Montross, 
Peter  Mufford,    - 
John  fiewellen. 


Johannis  Middellaer, 
Samuel  Hallstead, 
Daniel  Yeomans, 
John  Rosekrans, 
Cornelis  Willsie, 
Maes  Oostrander, 
Abraham  Swartwoudt, 
Isaac  BrinckerhofiF, 
Baltus  J.  Van  Kleek, 
Baltus  B.  Van  Kleek, 


William  Ver  Planck, 
Simon  La  Roy, 
Ahaswarus  Van  Kleek, 
Teunis  Van  Buntskoten, 
Gideon  Ver  Veelen, 
Peter  Outwater, 
Jacob  Brinckerhoff, 
Hendrick  Mufford, 
Marten  Shenk, 
Mathew  DuBois,  Jr., 
Abraham  DeGraeff.* 
In  1746,  Duchess  had  a  population  of  8,806,  in- 
cluding 500  "  blacks."     In  1749,  it  was  diminished 
to  7,912,  of  whom  421  were  "blacks;"  but  in  the 
next  seven  years  there  was  an  increase  nearly  equal 
to  one  hundred  per  cent. ;  for  in  1756,  there  were 
13,289  white,  and  859  black  inhabitants,  making  a 
total  of  14,148.     At  that  time  its  population  ex- 
ceeded that  of  any  other  county  in  the  Province, 
except    Albany,    which    had    17,424  inhabitants. 
Westchester  had  13,257,  and  New  York  only  13,- 
040.     Judge  Smith  in  describing  it  in  that  year, 
(1756,)  says:— 

"  The  south  part  of  the  county  [now  Putnam] 
is  mountainous  and  fit  only  for  iron  works,  but  the 
rest  contains  a  great  quantity  of  good  upland  well 
watered.  The  only  villages  in  it  are  Poughkeepsie 
and  the  Fish  Kill,  though  they  scarce  deserve  the 
name.  The  inhabitants  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
are  Dutch,  but  those  more  easterly,  Enghshraen, 
and,  for  the  most  part,emigrants  from  Connecticut 
and  Long  Island.  There  is  no  episcopal  church  in 
it.  The  growth  of  this  county  has  been  very  sud- 
den, and  commenced  but  a  few  years  ago.  With- 
in the  memory  of  persons  now  living,  it  did  not 
contain  above  twelve  families ;  and,  according  to 
the  late  returns  of  the  militia,  it  will  furnish  at 
present,  above  two  thousand  five  hundred  fighting 
men." 

From  this  time  till  the  close  of  the  century  the 
county  increased  rapidly  both  in  population  and 
wealth;  since  that  time  there  has  been  a  more 
uniform  but  almost  constant  increase  in  popula- 
tion. The  only  important  exception,  (and,  indeed, 
with  the  exception  of  the  year  1835,  the  only  one,) 
was  in  1814,  when  it  was  reduced  from  51,363,  in 

*  lu  this,  as  in  the  preceding  list,  we  have  adherred  to  the  orthography 
in  the  original.  (See  Doc.  Hist.  I.,  mj — 208.)  It  will  not  he  difficult 
to  recognize  many  of  these  names  among  those  of  the  present  inhabitants 
of  Duchess  county,  though  the  latter  have  been  somewhat  modernized. 


62 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


1810,  to  43,708,  by  the  erection,  in  1812,  of  Put- 
nam county,  which  had  a  population  in  181 4  of 
9,353-  From  22,404  in  1771;  32,636,  in  1786; 
and  45,266  in  1790;  it  had  increased  at  the  close 
of  the  century  to  47,775 ;  thus,  not  only  holding 
the  position  it  had  gained  in  1756,  but  far  out- 
stripping every  other  county  in  the  State,  except 
New  York,  which  nearly  doubled  its  population  in 
the  decade  from  1790  to  1800,  having  the  latter 
year  a  population  of  60,515  against  33,131  in  1790. 
Washington,  which  most  nearly  approached 
Duchess  in  1800,  had  35,792  inhabitants;  Colum- 
bia came  next,  with  35,472  and  Albany -next 
with  34,103.  Most  of  the  others  were  far  be- 
low it,  and  none  approached  it  within  fifteen 
thousand.  In  181 3,  Spafford  describes  it  as 
"  one  of  the  most  opulent  farming  counties  in  the 
State;"  and  adds,  "in  agriculture,  no  county  ex- 
ceeds this  in  the  style  of  improvement,  and  none 
has  a  greater  respectability  of  character,  engaged 
in  practical  farming."  In  domestic  manufactures, 
also,  it  took  advanced  rank,  having  in  1810,  a 
larger  number  of  fulling-mills  than  any  other  county 
in  the  State.  It  ranked  fourth  in  the  number  of 
carding  machines — 25  ;  first  in  the  number  of  cot- 
ton factories — 5— equahng  Oneida;  first  in  the 
number  of  tanneries — 80 — double  the  number  of 
any  other  county  in  the  State,  except  Montgomery, 
Orange  and  Ulster,  which  had  respectively  45,  49 
and  41  ;  only  fifth  in  the  number  of  breweries — 2 ; 
ninth  in  the  number  of  distilleries — 25  ;  third  in  the 
number  of  paper  mills — 2  ;  first  in  the  number  of 
batteries — 22 — doubling  the  number  of  any  other 
county,  except  Saratoga,  which  had  fourteen ;  and 
in  the  front  rank,  but  equaled  by  five  others,  in 
the  number  of  oil-mills — 3  ;  also  in  the  number  of 
trip  hammers— 7 — being  equaled  by  one  other 
county  only.  But  ithad  neither  blast  nor  air  fur- 
nace, nor  blomary,  a  feature  which  at  present  forms 
an  important  part  of  its  industries. 

If  we  look  at  the  quantity  of  its  manufactured 
products  at  that  period,  we  find  that  it  held  a  no 
less  prominent  position.  It  ranked  ninth  in  the 
number  of  looms— 1,342— and  eighth  in  the  num- 
ber of  yards  of  woolen  cloth  manufactured — 
128,655;  fifth  in  the  number  of  yards  of  linen 
cloth— 230,404;  first  in  the  number  of  hides  and 
skins  tanned — 42,714;  sixth  in  the  number  of  gal- 
lons brewed— 18,000  ;  twentieth  in  the  number  of 
gallons  distilled — 24,450;  first  in  the  number  of 
reams  of  paper  made — 15,000;  second  in  the 
nuitiber  of  hats  made— 12,450 ;  fifth  in  the  number 
of  gallons  of  oil  produced— 3,500.    The  product 


of  its  fulUng-mills  and  cotton-factories  is  not  given  ; 
neither  for  more  than  five  of  its  twenty- five  carding 
machines.  In  181 1,  it  had  fourteen  post-offices; 
a  number  equaled  by  only  two  other  counties — 
Chenango  and  Otsego — and  exceeded  by  four — 
Oneida,  Ontario,  Suffolk  and  Washington.* 

The  subjoined  table  shows  the  population  of  the 
county  at  different  periods  : — 


1714 445 

1723 i;o83 

1731 1,727 

1737 3,418 

1746 8,806 

1749 7,912 

1756 14,148 

1771 22,404 

1786 32,636 

1790 45,266 

1800 ..47,775 

1810 51,363 

1814 ..43,708 


1820 46,615 

1825 46,698 

1830 50,926 

1835 50,704 

1840 52,398 

1845 55,124 

1850 58,992 

1855 60,635 

i860 64,941 

1865 65,192 

1870 74,041 

1875 76,334 

1880 79,273 


Happily  the  pioneers  of  Duchess  county  were 
never  harassed  by  those  distressing  Indian  wars, 
which  desolated  other  counties  and  swept  away 
both  the  settler  and  his  improvements ;  neither 
were  they  cursed  with  a  sterile  soil.  They  were  left 
to  develope  their  agricultural,  commercial  and 
mechanical  enterprises  without  extraneous  hind- 
rance. The  soil,  which  possesses  a  fertility  un- 
known to  the  lands  in  many  portions  of  the  State, 
responded  generously  to  the  moderate  exertions  of 
the  husbandman  ;  and  during  the  many  years  while 
their  less  fortunate  neighbors  could  only  by  the  most 
pinching  industry  coax  from  an  almost  barren  soil  a 
scanty  subsistence,  they  had  acquired  titles  of  un- 
doubted validity  to  their  lands,  and  were  enjoying 
the  blessings  which  flow  from  a  moderate  compe- 
tence. 

The  county  occupies  one  of  the  most  pictur- 
esque portions  of  the  Hudson  Valley ;  and  while 
its  fertility  attracted  and  held  the  agriculturist,  its 
beauty,  not  less  than  its  excellent  institutions  of 
learning  and  religion,  for  which  it  is  justly  noted, 
•attracted  persons  of  wealth,  culture  and  refinement, 
who  sought  homes  within  its  borders  because  of 
its  aesthetic  associations  and  influences.  Hence  a 
steady  and  healthy  growth  has  been  maintained 
for  maily  years  ;  and  though  it  has  been  outstripped 
in  the  competitive  race  for  population  it  can  point 
to  the  many  commercial  and  manufacturing  enter- 
prises within  its  borders,  and  with  just  pride,  refer 
the  stranger  to  the  no  less  gratifying  evidences  of 
wealth,  prosperity  and  contentment  exhibited  by 

*  spafford?  s  Gazetteer  of  \%fi,  6,  50,  73.    Doc.  Hist.  I.,  695,  696, 697. 
Col.  HUt.  VI.,  39Z,  sso ;  VIII..,  457,  Census  Reports. 


ENROLLMENT  OF  QUAKERS  IN  1755. 


63 


the  tillers  of  the  soil,  who  have  supplemented 
nature  by  improving  an  already  beautiful  country 
and  transformed  it  from  its  pristine  wilderness  to 
the  productive  and  attractive  farms  which  adorn  its 
hillsides  and  valleys.*  , 

Though  the  pioneers  were  not  molested  by  the 
savage  natives  whose  fairpossessions  they  acquired, 
their  herds  and  flocks  did  not  enjoy  equal  immu- 
nity from  the  savage  denizens  of  the  forest.  Early 
in  the  eighteenth  century  the  aid  of  the  State  Legis- 
lature was  invoked  for  the  destruction  of  these 
depredators.  In  1726  and  again  in  1728,  that 
body  passed  laws  for  the  destruction  of  wolves  in 
Albany,  Duchess  and  Orange  counties.  In  1741  an 
act  was  passed  "to  encourage  the  destroying  of 
wolves  and  panthers  in  Duchess  county,"  which 
was  "  much  infested  with  those  creatures."  A  like 
act  was  passed  the  following  year,  and  applied  also 
to  Ulster  and  Orange  counties.  The  record  says : 
"the  inhabitants  of  these  counties  finding  the  for- 
mer acts  insufiicient,  this  act  is  passed  hoping  it 
will  prove  more  effectual."  The  hope  would  seem 
to  have  been  realized,  for  we  find  no  further  legis- 
lative enactments  against  these  pests,  whose  charge 
it  was  probably  thought  safe  to  relegate  to  local 
agencies. 

Swine  were  no  less  objects  of  solicitude  with 
the  State  Legislature;  for  in  1728,  again  in  1730, 
and  again  in  1736,  acts  were  passed  to  prevent 
their  running  at  large  in  the  county.  The  provi- 
dent care  of  this  august  body  was  directed  even 
to  the  regulation  of  wagon  ruts  in  the  county,  an 
act  having  been  passed  for  that  purpose  in  1734. 
The  record  says :  "  One  or  two  counties  in  the 
Province  having  formerly  obtained  acts  of  Assembly 
to  make  their  waggons  of  a  larger  and  equal  size, 
this  county  having  observed  the  benefitt  the  people 
have  had   by  it   are   desirous   to   tread  in  their 

steps."t 

In  April,  1755,  an  enrollment  was  made  of  the 
Friends  or  Quakers  in  the  county  who  claimed 
exemption  from  military  duty,  pursuant  to  an  act 
of  the  Assembly  passed  February  19,  1755,  for 
regulating  the  militia  of  the  Colony.  They  were 
found  to  be  quite  numerous  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  county,  especially  upon  the  Oblong  tract. 
They  were  chiefly  immigrants  from  Long  Island 
and  Rhode  Island  and  were  of  British  origin.    The 

*  In  1870,  Duchess  county,  though  then  ranking  as  only  the  fourteenth 
county  in  the  State  in  respect  to  population,  ranked  as  tenth  in  aggregate 
equalized  valuation  ;  being  surpassed  only  by  Albany,  Erie,  Kings,  Mon- 
roe New  York,  Onondaga,  Orange,  Rensselaer  and  Westchester ;  and 
some  of  these,  though  largely  exceeding  it  in  population,  surpass  it  in 
wealth  by  only  trifling  ainounts. 

t  Col.  HUt-  V;  87J,  909 ;  VL,  28,  87. 


names  of  many  of  these  estimable  people,  who, 
like  the  Moravians  previously  referred  to,  suffered 
bitter  persecutions  at  the  hands  of  the  dominant 
religious  party,  are  familiar  to  the  present  genera- 
tion, and  we  give  them  as  we  find  them  recorded, 
with  their  locations  *  and  occupations  : — 


Joshua  Shearman, 
Moses  Shearman, 
Daniel  Shearman, 
Joseph  Doty, 
John  Wing, 
Zebulon  Ferris, 


Beekman  Precinct, 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
(Oblong)  do. 


Joseph  Smith,  son  of  Richard,  do  do. 

Robert  Whiteley,  Oblong, 

Elijah  Doty,  Oblong  House, 

Philip  Allen,  Oblong, 

Richard  Smith,  do. 

James  Aiken,  do. 
Abraham  Chase,  son  of  Henry,     do, 

David  Hoeg,  do. 

John  Hoeg,  do. 

Jonathan  Hoeg,  do. 

Amos  Hoeg,  son  of  John,  do. 
William  Hoeg,  son  of  David,        do. 

John  Hoeg,  son  of  John,  do. 

Ezekiel  Hoeg,  do. 

Judah  Smith,  do. 

Mathew  Win^,  do. 

Timothy  Dakin,  do. 

Jonathan  Dakin,  do. 

Samuel  Russell,  do. 

John  Fish,  do. 

Reed  Ferris,  do. 

Benjamin  Ferris  Junr.,  do. 

Joseph  Akin,  do. 

Israel  Howland,  do. 

Elisha  Akin,  do. 

Isaac  Haviland,  do. 
Nathan  Soule,  son  of  George,       do. 

Tames  Birdsall,  do. 

Daniel  Chase,  do. 


Shoemaker. 
Laborer. 

do. 
Blacksmith. 
Farmer. 

do. 
Laborer. 
Farmer, 
Carpenter. 
Weaver. 
Farmer. 
Blacksmith. 
Farmer. 


Farmer.  _ 
Blacksmith. 
Laborer. 
Farmer. 

Laborer. 
Tailor. 


Farmer. 

Laborer. 

do. 

Farmer. 

Shoemaker. 

Laborer. 

Blacksmith. 

Fanner.  ■ 
do. 

Blacksmith. 

Farmer. 

Laborer. 

Farmer. 
Silas  Mossher,  Oswego  in  Beekman  Precinct,        do. 

William  Mosher,  do.  do. 

Silvester  Richmond,  do.  do. 

Jesse  Irish,  do.  do. 

David  Irish,  do.  do. 

William  Irish,  do.  do. 

Josiah  Bull,  do.  do. 

Josiah  Bull  Junr.,  do     .  do. 

Allen  Moore,  do.  do. 

Andrew  Moore,  do.  do. 

William  Gifford,  do.  do. 

Nathaniel  Yeomans,  do.  do. 

Eliab  Yeomans,  do.  do. 

William  Parks,  do.  do. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  slaves  in  Duchess 
county  above  the  age  of  fourteen,  and  their  owners, 
taken  pursuant  to  act  of  the  Assembly  in  1755  = — 

Names  of  Masters  Names  of  Male       Names  of  Fe- 

AND  Mistresses.  Negroes.  male  Nbgbobs. 

CoUo ;  Martin  Hoffman,         Jack  Fortune,  Frank  Francis,'  Sarah  Dean 

Susan  Bet 
Toby  Jo : 
Capt.  Zacharias  Hoffman,       Bristoll  Will,  Jenny  Peggy 

Vullard  Widbeck,  Jack,  Diana 

Harmon  Knickerbacker,         Tom, 

John  Van  Benthouse,  Pompey,  Cuffy,  Hannah  Jenny 

Barrent  Van  Benthouse,  Bastian,Andrew,Cui6r,Peter, 

Simon,  prince  Adam  Mathew, 
Anthony  Hoffman,  Jo ; 

John  Vosburgh,  Jo  Tom,  Phillis 

Capt.  Evert  Knickerbacker,  Maria 

Adam  Pitzer,  Kate 

Peter  Pitzer,  Fortune, 

Rier  Schemerhorn,  Diana 

Peter  Heermanse,  Quash, 

Gerrett  Heermanse,  Ned, 

The  above  List  was  taken  by  me  this  izth  Day  of  May  1755. 

Zacharias  Hoffman,  Captain. 
Rynebeck  Precinct,  March  22  Day. 
Mr.  Jacob  Siemon,  Antony, 

Margerit  Bennin,  Tam, 

Symon  Kool,  Pamp,  Bette 

Nicholas  Stickel,  Frank, 

Johannes  Feller,  Piet, 

Petrus  Ten  Brock,  Tam,  Cornells,  Jack,  Sara  Bette 

Ms  Catherine  Palling,  Robben,  Deen 

Andiies  Heremanse,  Go,  Mary 

Taken  up  by  me  Evert. 

Knekerbacker,  Capt. 

"Sketches  of  Local  History,  by  Benson  J.  Lossing,  LL.  D.,  in  The 
Dutchess  Farmer,  Dec.  \^,  1S76.— Doc.  Hist.  III.,  1027,  1028. 


64 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Rhynebeck  Precinct,  March  ye  22  Day. 

Names  of  Masters             Names  of  Male  Names  of  Fe- 

AND  Mistresses.                    Negroes.  male  Negroes. 

Mrs.  Aleda  Rutsen,                Thom,  Robin,  Coffie,  Filis,  Riet,  Dean 
Mrs.  Rachel  VanSteenbergen,Lou,  Pieter, 
Lawrence  Tiel,                        Tam, 
Henry  Tiel,                             Jack, 

Philip  Veller,                           Lou,  Betty 

Johannes  Lambert,  Bett 

Jack  Keip,                                Tom,  Pieter,  Jan,  fillis 

Roelof  Keip,                            Tom,  Keet 

Abraham  Keip,  Betty,  Mary,  Bess 

Gerrit  VanBenthuysen,           Herry,  floor  Dill 

George  Toevelt,  febe 

George  Adam  Toevelt,  Dien 

Susan  Angenes  Sheeferen,  Kinno 

Comeles  Ostervanter,  Wench  fillis 

Mrs.  Cathlynje  V.  fretenborg,  Yud 
Taken  up  by  me,  Frans  Nehkr  Capt.* 

The  following  document,  which  forms  a  part  of 
the  collection  of  the  Historical  Committee  of  the 
Poughkeepsie  Literary  Club,  preserves  evidence 
that  the  inhabitants  of  Duchess  of  a  century  ago 
were  not  free  from  those  petty  bickerings  which 
disgrace  the  present  generation.  We  quote  verba- 
tim the  formidable  prelude  to  this  document : — 

"  Dutchess  Co.  ss  :  An  extract  of  all  issues,  fines, 
americaments  and  recognizances  forfeited  and  set 
to  our  Lord  the  King  at  the  General  Session  of 
the  Peace  of  our  Lord  the  King  on  the  first  Tues- 
day of  January  in  the  thirteenth  year  of  the  reign 
of  our  Sovereign  Lord  George  the  Third  now  [1773] 
King  of  Great  Britain,  &c.,  and  by  adjournment 
to  Saturday  the  eighth  of  January  of  the  same 
month,  before  Beverly  Robinson,  Nicholas  De- 
Lavergne,  Henry  Van  Der  Burgh,  Bartholomew 
Noxon,  Ephraim  Paine,  Lawrence  Lawrence  and 
Thomas  Barker  Esqrs.,  Justices  of  our  said  Lord 
the  King  assigned  to  keep  the  peace  in  the  county 
of  Dutchess  also  to  hear  and  determine  diverse 
felonies,  trespasses  and  other  [a  word  unintelligible] 
committed  in  the  same  county — Henry  Livingston 
Esq.,  Clerk  of  the  Peace  of  the  county  aforesaid 
there  attending  for  the  space  of  foar  days." 

By  this  tribunal  fines  of  ten  shillings  each  were 
imposed  on  John  Ostrom  and  Hendrick  I.  Ostrom, 
yeoman,  of  Rombout  Precinct,  "for  an  assault  on  the 
body  of  Francis  Smith  ;"  Edy  Van  Evere,  yeoman,  of 
Rombout  Precinct,  "  for  an  assault  on  the  body  of 
Nicholas  Pearson,  Jr. ;"  Nicholas  Pearson,  Jr.,  yeo- 
man, of  same  precinct,  "for  an  assault  on  the  body 
of  Edy  Van  Evere;"  of  five  shillings  each  on  John 
I.  Van  Kleek,  of  "  Poghkeepsie  Precinct,"  shop- 
keeper, "for  an  assault  on  the  body  of  Alexander 
Chaucer;"  Alexander  Chaucer,  of  the  same  pre- 
cinct, gentleman,  "  for  an  assault  on  the  body  of 
John  I.  Van  Kleek;"  Peter  Mullen,  of  the  same 
precinct,  blacksmith,  "  for  an  assault  on  the  body 
of  Simon  P.  La  Roy ;"  and  of  five  pounds  on  Silas 
Fosket,  of  Amenia  Precinct,  yeoman,  "for  a  vio- 
lent assault  on  the  body  of  Elizabeth  Harris,"  and 
he  was  "committed  to  his  Majesty's  gaol  in 
Dutchess  county,  there  to  remain  until  he  shall  pay 
the  said  fine." 

•  Doc.  Hist.  Ill,  851,  852.  '  ' 


Other  quaint  documents  in  the  same  collection 
hand  down  to  us  those  relics  of  ancient  barbarism 
— the  oaths  of  abjuration  and  fealty,  which,  on  the 
accession  of  George  III.  to  the  throne  of  England 
in  1760,  were  prescribed  for  the  officers  in  his 
dominion.  The  following  are  the  oaths  and  the 
names  of  those  in  Duchess  county  who  took 
them : — 

"I,  A.  B.,  Do  Solemnly  and  Sincerely,  in  the 
Presence  of  God,  Profess,  Testify  and  Declare, 
That  I  do  Believe,  that  in  the  Sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  there  is  not  any  Transubstantiation, 
of  the  Elements  of  Bread  and  Wine,  into  the  Body 
and  Blood  of  Christ,  at  or  After  the  Consecration 
Thereof,  by  any  person  whatsoever,  And  that  the 
Invocation,  or  Adoration  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  or 
Any  Other  Saint,  And  the  Sacrifice  of  Mass,  as  they 
are  Now  Used  in  the  Church  of  Rome,  Are  Super- 
stitious and  Idolatrous,  andu  I  do  Solemnly  in  the 
presence  of  God,  Profess,  Testify  and  Declare,  that 
I  do  make  this  Declaration,  and  Every  Part  There- 
of, in  the  Plain  and  Ordinary  Sence,  of  the  Words 
read  to  me,  as  they  are  Commonly  Understood,  by 
English  Protestants,  Without  Any  Evasion,  Equiv- 
ocation, or  Mental  Reservation  Whatsoever,  and 
Without  any  Dispensation,  Already  Granted  me 
for  this  purpose,  by  the  Pope,  or  any  Other  Author- 
ity Whatsoever,  or  Without  Thinking,  that  I  am  or 
Can  be  Acquitted,  before  God  or  Man,  or  absolved 
of  this  Declaration,  or  any  Part  Thereof,  Although 
the  Pope,  or  any  Person  or  Persons,  or  Power 
Whatsoever,  Should  Dispence  with,  or  Annul  the 
same,  and  Declare  that  it  was  Null  and  Void,  from 
the  Beginning." 

The  other  oath  reads  as  follows  : — 

"  I,  A.  B.,  do  Sincerely  Promise  &  Swear,  that  I 
will  be  faithful  and  bear  true  Allegiance  to  his 
Majesty  King  George  the  Third,  and  I  do  Swear, 
that  I  do  from  my  heart,  Abhor,  Detest  and  Abjure,^ 
as  Impious  and  Heritical,  that  Damnable  Doctrine 
and  Position,  that  Princes  Excommunicated  and 
Deprived  by  the  Pope,  or  any  Authority  of  the  See 
of  Rome,  may  be  Deposed  by  their  Subjects  or  any 
other  Whatsoever,  and  I  do  Declare  that  no  For- 
eign Prince,  Person,  Prelate,  State  or  Potentate, 
hath  or  ought  to  have,  any  Jurisdiction,  Power, 
Superiority,  Pre-eminence,  or  Authority  Eclesias- 
tical  or  Spiritual  Within  this  Realm,  and  I  do 
Truly  and  Sincerely  accknowledge  and  profess, 
Testify  and  Declare,  in  my  Conscience,  before  God 
and  the  World,  That  our  Sovereign  Lord  King 
George  the  Third,  is  Lawfull  and  Rightfull  King 
of  this  Realm,  and  all  other  Dominions  and  Coun- 
trys  Thereunto  Belonging,  and  I  do  Solemnly  and 
Sincerely  Declare,  that  I  do  believe  in  my  Con- 
science that  the  person  pretended  to  be  Prince  of 
Wales,  During  the  Life  of  the  Late  King  James 
the  Second,  and  Since  his  Decease,  PretendiiSg  to 
be,  and  Takeing  upon  himself,  the  Stile  and  Title 
of  King  of  England,  by  the  name  of  James  the 
Third,  or  of  Scotland  by  the  name  of  James  the 
Eighth,  or  the  Stile  and  Title  of  King  of  Great 


LIST  OF  SUBSCRIBERS  TO  OATHS  OF  ABJURATION  AND  FEALTY,  1760-73.  65 


Britain,  hath  not  any  right  or  Title  Whatsoever,  to 
the  Crown  of  this  Realm,  or  any  other  the  Domin- 
ions Thereunto  Belonging,  and  I  do  Renounce, 
Refuse  and  Abjure,  any  Aligeance  or  Obediance 
to.  him  and  I  do  Swear,  That  I  will  bear  Faith,  and 
true  Alegiance  to  his  Majesty  King  George  the 
Third,  and  him  will  Defend,  to  the  Utmost  of  my 
Power,  against  all  Traiterous  Conspiracies  and 
Attempts  Whatsoever,  which  shall  be  made,  Against 
his  Person,  Crown  or  Dignity,  and  I  will  do  my 
Utmost  Endeavors,  to  Disclose  and  Make  Known, 
to  his  Majesty  and  his  Successors,  all  Treasons  and 
Traiterous  Conspiracies,  which  I  shall  know  to  be 
against  him,  or  any  of  them,  and  I  do  faithfully 
promise  to  the  Utmost  of  my  Power  to  Support 
Maintain  and  Defend,  the  Successors  of  the  Crown, 
against  him  the  said  James  and  all  other  Persons 
Whatsoever,  Which  Succession,  by  an  Act  Entitled 
an  Act  for  the  further  Limitation  of  the  Crown 
and  better  Securing  the  Rights  and  Libertys  of  the 
Subjects  is  and  Stands  Limitted  to  the  Late  Prin- 
cess Sophia,  Electress  and  Dutchess  Dowager  of 
Hanover,  and  the  Heirs  of  her  Body,  being  Protes- 
tants, and  all  these  things  I  do  Plainly  and  Sincerely 
Acknowledge  and  Swear  according  to  the  Express 
words  by  me  Spoken,  and  According  to  the  Plain 
and  Common  Sence  and  Understanding  of  the 
Same  Words,  Without  any  Equivocation,  Mental 
Evasion,  or  Senister  Reservation  Whatsoever,  and 
I  do  make  this  Recognition,  Acknowledgement, 
Abjuration,  Renunciation  and  Promise,  heartily. 
Willingly  and  Truly,  upon  the  True  Faith  of  a 
Christian — So  help  me  God." 

Those  whose  name  are  foll(Jwed  by  a  star  (*)  in 
the  following  list  took  only  the  first  oath  at  the  date 
set  opposite  their  respective  names.  Those  remain- 
ing took  both : — 

1760. 
April  I.  Roswell  Hopkins,*  2d  Lieut. 

do.    2.  Abraham  Lozel,*  Captain. 

do.    2.  Henry  Bell,*  ist  Lieut. 

do.    2.  Michael  Vinsnt,*  2d  Lieut. 

do.    2.  Peter  Covis,*  Ensign. 

do.    3.  Stephanus  Congen,*  ist  Lieut. 

do.    3.  Wm.  Radcliff,*  2d  Lieut. 

do.    3.  Bathuin  Brown,*  Ensign. 

do.    3.  Simon  Flagler,*  zd  Lieut. 

do.    4.  Samuel  King,*  Ensign. 

'''"    5.  William  Gray,*  2d  Lieut. 
8.  Simeon  Wright,*  do. 

William  Doughty,  Jr.,*  Ensign. 
John  Stoutenburgh,*        do. 
William  Hill,*  2d  Lieut. 
Isaac  Rhodes,*  Captain. 
Andrew  Sill,*  Ensign. 

his 

do.  24.  Thomas  X  Smith,*  ist  Lieut. 

mark. 

John  Cannon,*    Lieut. 
Saml.  Gerry,  Jr.,*  do. 
Joseph  Powell,*      do. 
Isaac  Conckin,*     do. 


(.10, 

do. 

do.    g. 

do.  16, 

do. 

do, 

do. 


21. 
21. 
21. 


May  22. 

do.  22. 

do.  23. 

do.  23. 
June  28. 

do.  28. 


Cornelius  Vanwyck,*  2d  Lieut. 
John  Bailey,  Jr.,*  Ensign. 


1760. 
June  30. 
Aug.  21. 

do.   21. 

do.  21. 

do.  21. 
Sept.  27. 

do.  29. 
Nov.    8. 

do.  27. 

do.  27. 
1761. 
Oct.  20. 

do.  22. 

do.  22. 
do.  22. 
do.  22. 

1762. 
May  18. 

do.  18. 

do.  18. 

do.  18. 

do.  18. 

do.  18. 

do.  18. 

do.  18. 

do.  18. 

do.  18. 

do.  18. 

do.  18. 

do.  18. 

1763. 

Feb.  22. 

Mar.  12. 

do.  24. 

do.  24. 

do.  24. 

do.  24. 

1761. 

Sept.  25, 

do.  26. 

do. 

do. 

do. 
Oct. 

do. 


26. 

29. 

30- 
7- 
7- 


do.  7. 
do.  12. 
,do.  13. 
do.  14. 
do.  20. 
do.  20. 
do.  21. 
do.  21. 
do.  21. 
do.  21. 
do.  21. 
do.  21. 
do.  21. 
do.  21. 


Jacob  X  Brill's  mark,*  Ensign. 
Samuel  Rowland,*  Captain. 
Abraham  filkin,*  Ensign. 
Zephaniah  Piatt,  Jr.,*  Captain. 
Silas  Deuel,*  ist  Lieut. 
Jacob  Sharpenstone,*  2d  Lieut. 
Christian  Tobias,*  Jr.,  Ensign. 
Clear  Everitt,*  Sheriff. 
Teunis  Tappen,*  Under  Sheriff. 
Barnardin  Fillkih,*        do. 

Daniel  Castle,  Justice. 

his 

Christian  DD  Dedrick,      Naturalized. 

mark. 

Henry  Shop,  do. 

Johannes  Pallankin  Cassford,    do, 
Lodwick  Elsever,  do. 


Johann  Georg  Goodmanhein,    do. 

his 

Anthouy  X  Poucher,  do. 

mark, 
his 

Hannis  HK  Kraf,  do. 

mark. 

William  Peter  Wallace,  do. 

Jacob  Cain,  do. 

Johannis  Blin  or  Bloss  (?)  do. 

Hurst  Cramer,  do. 

Peter  Crofut,  do. 

Henry  Dencker,  do. 

Christian  Frankal,  do. 

Yuvi  Loun,  do. 

George  Schuyder,  do. 

John  Joshua  Weder,  do. 

Isaac  Burton,  Sub  Sheriff. 
Henry  Ludinton,  do. 
Malen  Mead,  Captain. 
David  Sotherland,  ist  Lieut. 
Lewis  Barton,  2d  Lieut. 
Samuel  Pugsly,  Ensign. 

Matthew  Du  Boys,  Judge  and  Justice. 

Nicholas  De  La  Vergne,  Justice  and  Asst. 

William  Doughty,  do.         do. 

Roswell  Hopkins,  Justice. 

L.  Van  Kleeck,  Judge  and  Justice. 

Abraham  Bockee,     Justice. 

Thomas  Philips,  do. 

Samuel  Peters,  do. 

Henry  Lott,  do. 

Henry  D.  Burgh,         do. 

William  Humfrey,        do. 

John  Akin,  do. 

Caleb  Smith,  do. 

Jacobus  Ter  Bos,  Justice  and  Judge. 

Timothy  Soule,  Justice. 

James  Dickinson,  do. 

Elijah  Tompkins,  do. 

John  Rider,  do. 

Anthony  Yelverton,  Justice  and  Asst. 

Samuel  R.  Utly,  Justice. 

Mordecai  Lester,    do. 


66 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


1761. 
Oct.  21. 

do.  23. 

do.  29. 
Nov.  13. 

do.  21. 

do.  27. 

do.  27. 

1762. 

Jan.  20. 

Feb.    5. 

May  18. 

do.  20. 

do.  20. 

do.  20. 

1763. 

Jan.  12. 

do.  12. 

do.  12. 

do.  28. 

do.  28. 
Feb.    2. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 


do.    2. 


do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do.  II. 
do.  II, 

do.  II. 

April  6. 
June  2. 
Nov.  7. 

1764. 
Feb.  4. 

May  15. 

do.  15. 

do.  17. 
Oct.    2. 

do.     2. 

do.    2. 

do.  29. 
Nov.   7. 

do.    7. 

176J. 

Nov.   8. 

1766. 
May  20. 

do   20. 
Oct.    7. 

do.    7. 

do. '8. 
Nov.  1 2. 


John  Palmer,  Justice. 
James  G.  Livingston,  Sheriff. 
Bernard  Filkin,  Under  Sheriff. 

James  Smith,    Justice. 

James  Duncan,      do. 

Johannis  Deevit,    do. 

Cornelis  Luyster,  do. 

Augustinus  Turck,  do. 
Elisha  Colver,  '     do. 
Gilbert  Livingston^  D.  Clerk. 
Johann  Georg  Kreep,  Naturalized. 
Henry  AUendorf;  do. 

Azariah  Newcomb,  Under  Sheriff. 

Michael  Hopkins,  Captain. 
Simeon  Cook,  2d  Lieut. 
Ichabod  Paine,  Ensign. 
Harmon  Hoffman,  do. 
Samuel  King,  ist  Lieut. 
Moses  Harris,  Captain. 
Jonathan  Reynolds,  ist  Lieut. 
Stephen  Herrick,  2d  Lieut. 
Henry  De  Deo,  Captain. 
Symon  Westfael,  1st  Lieut. 
Johannes  Henner,  2d  Lieut. 
John  Weever,  Jr.,  Ensign. 

his 

Philip  X  Staats,         do. 

mark. 

Stephen  Caswell,  Captain. 
Eben'r  Jessup,  2d  Lieut. 
Lewis  Enos  Bryan,  Ensign. 
Simeon  Wright,  Captain. 
John  Ring,  ist  Lieut. 
Daniel  J.  CHne,  Ensign. 
Ichabod  Rogers,  2d  Lieut. 
Henry  Heermanns,  ist  Lieut. 

his 

Johannis     Rysdorf,  2d  Lieut. 

mark. 

Joseph  F&wler,  Ensign. 
Joseph  Ketchum,  ist  Lieut. 
James  Livingston,  Sheriff. 

Isaac  Van  Benschoten,  Under  Sheriff. 

Isaac  Burton,  Under  Sheriff. 

Christian  Tobias,  NaturaUzed. 

Frederick  Gilliger,         do. 

John  Bogardus,  Justice. 

Nathan  Taylor,  Captain. 

Edward  Gody,  Jr.,*  ist  Lieut. 

Silas  Paddock,  Ensign. 

John  Field,  2d  Lieut. 

Isaiah  Bennet,*  do. 

Amos  Fuller,  Ensign. 

Richard  Warner,  Under  Sheriff. 

Peter  Klaing,  NaturaUzed. 

Josan  Georg  Marquaof,        do. 
Daniel  Geigen  Grim,  do. 

Michael  Colts,  do. 

Isaac  Rysdyk,  do. 

James  Brook,  Under  Sheriff. 


1767. 
Mar.  15, 
Oct.  4. 

1769. 
Jan.    9. 
May  16. 

do.  16. 

do.  16. 

do.  16. 

do.  16. 

do.  17. 

do.  17. 

do.  17. 

do.  17. 
June   6. 

do.    7. 

do.    7. 

do.  14. 

do.  15. 
Aug.  31. 
Oct.    4. 

do.    4. 

do.    4. 

do.  14. 
Dec.    6. 

1770. 
Jan.  30.  Henry  Hegaman,  Justice. 
Feb.    3.  Jacobus  Swartwout,  Coroner. 
Mar.   6.  Cornelis  Knickerbocker,   Captain. 

do.   6.  Jacob  Millins,  ist  Lieut. 

do.    6.  Johannes  George  Rorick,  2d  Lieut. 

do.    6.  Benjamin  Van  Leman,  Ensign. 

do.  20.  Thomas  Taber,  Justice. 
Apr.  1 7.  Johannes  Rauch,  Captain. 

do.  17.  John  Wise  Erus,  ist  Lieut. 

do.  17.  James  Wilson,  Ensign. 

do.  17.  Lewis  Bryan,  ist  Lieut. 

do.  17.  James  Winchell,  2d  Lieut. 

do.  17.  William  Knickerbocker,  Ensign. 
May    7.  John  Lovell,  ad  Lieut. 

do.  15.  John  Child,  Attorney. 

do.  16.  James  Meed,  1st  Lieut. 

do.  22.  Benjamin  DeLamatter,  Ensign. 
June  16.  Henry  Ellis,   Justice. 
July  10.  James  Atwater,  do. 
Sept.  27.  Silas  Marsh,*  Attorney.        • 

1771. 
Feb.    9, 
May  ifl 


Rufus  Herrick,  Under  Sheriff. 
Henry  Beekman,  Justice  and  Asst. 

Tho.  Newcomb,  Under  Sheriff. 

Henry  V.  D.  Burgh,  Judge  and  Justice. 

Peter  Harris,  Asst.  and  Justice. 

James  Duncan,  Justice. 

Lawrence  Lawrence,  Justice.. 

Matthew  Brett,  do. 

Uriah  Lawrence,  do. 

Andrew  Moorhous,         do. 

Thomas  Menzies,  do. 

Malcom  Morison,  do. 

Bartholomew  Noxon,      do. 

Henry  Rosekranz,  Jr.,     do. 

Cornelius  Humphrey,     do. 

Thomas  Baldwin,  do. 

Andrew  Bostwick,  do. 

Conrad  Wineger,  do. 

Daniel  Sleght,  Naturalized. 

John  Michel  Richer,    do. 

Thomas  Barker,  Justice. 

Lewis  Duboys,  Under  Sheriff. 

Ephraim  Paine,  Justice. 


John  Lloyd,  Under  Sheriff. 

Reuben  Hopkins,  Attorney. 
June  14.  Bev.  Robinson,  Judge  and  Justice. 
Oct.  31.  Enos  Northrup,  Under  Sheriff. 


James  Vanderburgh,  Justice. 
Duncan  Campbell,         do. 
Alex'r  Grant,  do. 

Philip  I.  Livingston,  High  Sheriff. 
Peter  Dubois,  Under  Sheriff,  • 


1772. 

Feb.  17. 

Oct.    9. 

do.    g. 

do.  16. 

do.  16. 

1773. 

Jan.    6.  John  Terrill,  Justice. 

Feb.  15.  Ananias  Cooper,  do. 

Thrice  during  the  revolutionary  period  (1780- 
1782,)  did  the  Marquis  de  Chastellux,  a  French 
general  officer  under    Rochambeau,   extend  his 


DE  CHASTELLUX'S  TRAVELS  THROUGH  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


67 


travels  to  this  county.  His  observations,  published 
in  a  rare  work  entitled  Travels  in  North  America, 
are,  with  the  exception  of  Anburey's,  which  will  be 
noticed  in  another  connection,  the  earliest  having 
a  local  interest  to  Duchess  county  of  which  we 
have  knowledge.  A  view  of  the  county  at  that 
early  period  through  the  eyes  of  so  distinguished 
a  character  can  not  fail  to  interest  the  present  in- 
habitants of  Duchess. 

De  Chastellux  made  his  first  visit  in  November, 
1780,  while  en  route  from  Rhode  Island  to  "  Prak- 
ness,"  where  Washington's  army  then  lay.  He 
crossed  the  Housatonic,  "or  river  of  Stratford," 
"near  BulVs  iron  works"  (now  Bull's  Bridge,) 
where,  he  says,  it  "  is  easily  forded,"  and  "  lost  in 
admiration  at  the  view  of  the  charming  landscape, 
formed  by  the  combination  of  forges,  of  the  fall  of 
water  which  seems  to  work  them,  and  of  the  varie- 
gated prospect  of  trees  and  rocks  with  which  this 
picturesque  scene  is  embellished,"  followed  its 
course  south  to  the  mouth  of  Ten  Mile  River. 
After  ascending  the  latter  two  or  three  miles  he 
came  "  in  sight  of  several  handsome  houses, 
forming  a  part  of  the  district  called  The  Oblong" 
Two  miles  further  on  he  arrived  at  the  inn  kept  by 
Colonel  Moorhouse;  "for  nothing  is  more  com- 
mon in  America,"  he  says,  "  than  to  see  an  inn- 
keeper a  Colonel :  they  are  in  general  militia  col- 
onels, chosen  by  the  mihtia  themselves,  who  seldom 
fail  to  entreat  the  command  to  the  most  esteemed, 
and  most  creditable  citizens."  With  a  motive 
which  did  little  credit  to  his  heart,  he  urged  for- 
ward his  horses  "  to  get  the  start  of  a  traveler 
on  horseback"  who  had  joined  him  on  the  road, 
and  would  have  the  same  right  with  himself  to 
lodgings  had  they  arrived  together.  He  "  had  the 
satisfaction,  however,  to  see  him  pursue  his  jour- 
ney ;  but  soon  learnt  with  concern,  that  the  little 
inn  where  [he]  proposed  to  pass  that  night,  was 
occupied  by  thirteen  farmers,  and  two  hundred  and 
fifty  oxen  coming  from  New  Hampshire."  The 
oxen  were  "  a  part  of  the  contingent  of  provisions  " 
furnished  by  that  State  to  the  army.  They,  he 
adds,  "were  the  least  iijconvenient  part  of  the 
company,  as  they  were  left  to  graze  in  a  meadow 
hard  by,  without  even  a  dog  to  guard  them ;  but  the 
farmers,  their  horses,  and  dogs,  were  in  possession 
of  the  inn."  They  occupied  "  all  the  rooms,  and 
all  the  beds,"  and  he  "  was  in  the  greatest  distress ;" 
when,  with  remarkable  magninimity,  "a  tall,  fat  man, 
the  principal  person  amongst  them,"  being  informed 
who  he  was,  assured  him,  "that  neither  he,  nor  his 
companions,  would  ever  suifer  a  French  general 


officer  to  want  a  bed,  and  that  they  would  rather 
sleep  on  the  floor ;  adding,  that  they  were  accus- 
tomed to  it,  and  that  it  would  be  attended  with  no 
inconvenience."  He  assured  them  that,  being  a 
military  man,  he  was  as  much  accustomed  as  them- 
selves to  making  the  earth  his  bed,  and  they  "  had 
long  debates  on  this  point  oi pglitesse;"  but  the 
result  was  that  he  and  his  aides  "had  a  two-bedded 
room." 

He  "  parted  good  friends ''  with  his  New  Hamp- 
shire acquaintances,  whose  "  size  and  stature 
struck"  him ;  and  on  the  morning  of  the  "  20th 
of  December"  [should  be  November]  resumed  his 
journey.  "Three  miles  from  Moorhouse's,"  he 
says,  "is  a  very  high  hill;  we  then  descend,  but 
not  quite  so  much  as  we  ascended ;  but  the  road 
here  is  over  elevated  ground,  leaving  large  moun- 
tains on  the  left.  The  country  is  well  cultivated ; 
affording  the  prospect  of  several  pretty  farms,  with 
some  mills ;  and  notwithstanding  the  war,  Hopel 
[Hopewell]  township  is  building,  inhabited  chiefly 
by  Dutch  people."  It  was  his  intention  "  to  sleep 
five  miles  this  side  of  Fishkill,  at  Colonel  Grifiin's 
tavern ;''  but  being  assured  by  that  gentleman, 
whom  he  found  "  cutting  and  preparing  wood  for 
fences,''  that  "his  house  was  full,  which  was  easy 
to  be  believed,  for  it  was  very  small,"  he  continued 
his  journey  and  reached  Fishkill  about  four  o'clock. 
"This  town,"  he  says,  referring  to  Fishkill,  "in 
which  there  are  not  more  than  fifty  houses  in  the 
space  of  two  miles,  has  been  long  the  principal 
depot  of  the  American  army.  It  is  there  they  have 
placed  their  magazines,  their  hospitals,  their  work- 
shops, &c.,  but  all  these  form  a  town  of  themselves, 
composed  of  some  handsome  large  barracks,  built 
in  the  wood  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains."  As 
evidence  of  the  "great  importance"  of  the  post  at 
Fishkill,  which,  he  says,  being  "  situated  on  the 
high  road  from  Connecticut,"  "  near  the  North 
River,"  and  "  protected  by  a  chain,  of  inaccessible 
mountains,"  "has  all  the  qualities  necessary  for  a 
place  of  depot,"  he  cites  the  campaign  of  1777, 
which  made  it  "  clear  that  the  plan  of  the  English 
was  to  render  themselves  masters  of  the  whole 
course  of  the  North  River,  and  thus  to  separate 
the  Eastern  and  Western  States,"  and  "  necessary 
therefore  to  secure  a  post  on  Jhat  river;  West 
Point  was  made  choice  of  as  the  most  important  to 
fortify,  and  Fishkill,  as  the  place  best  adapted  to 
the  establishment  of  the  principal  depot  of  pro- 
visions, ammunition,  &c." 

How,  "  with  difficulty,"  he  found  lodgings,  which 
were   made   "  very  scarce"  by  the  movement   of 


68 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


troops  to  winter  quarters ;  but  he  "  got  at  last  into 
a  middling  inn,  next  [kept]  by  an  old  Mrs.  Egre- 
mont.  The  house  was  not  so  clean  as  they  usually 
are  in  America ;  but  the  most  disagreeable  circum- 
stance was  the  want  of  several  panes  of  glass.  In 
fact,  of  all  repairs,  that  of  windows  is  the  most  diffi- 
cult, in  a  country  where,  from  the  scattered  situ- 
ation and  distance  of  the  houses  from  each  other, 
it  is  sometimes  necessary  to  send  twenty  miles  for 
a  glazier."  But,  having  "  made  use  of  every  thing 
that  came  to  hand  to  patch  up  the  windows,"  with 
the  aid  of  "  an  excellent  fire,"  and  under  the  genial 
influences  of  the  polite  attentions  of  "  the  Doctor 
of  the  hospital"  and  "  the  Quarter-master  of  Fish- 
kill,"  he  managed  to  pass  the  night.  In  the  morn- 
ing he  was  conducted  by  the  latter  "  to  see  the 
barracks,  the  magazines,  and  work-houses  of  the 
different  workmen  employed  in  the  service  of  the 
army."  "These  barracks,"  he  says,  "  are  wooden 
houses,  well  built  and  well  covered,  having  garrets, 
and  even  cellars."  Here,  he  adds,  "  such  ample 
provision  is  made  for  every  thing  that  the  service 
and  discipline  of  the  army  may  require,  that  a 
prdvotd  and  a  prison  are  built  there,  surrounded  by 
paUsades.  One  gate  only  affords  access  to  the 
inclosure  of  the  prdvotd  ;  and  before  it  is  placed  a 
guard-house."  "After  passing  some  time  in  visiting 
these  different  settlements,"  he  proceeded  toward 
West  Point.  Four  or  five  miles  from  Fishkill,  he 
passed  a  camp  in  the  woods  occupied  by  "some  hun- 
dred invalid  soldiers,"  who,  he  says,  "were  all  in  very 
good  health,  but  had  been  sent  here  because  their 
cloaths  were  truly  invahds."  "  These  honest  fel- 
lows," he  adds,  "  for  I  will  not  say  creatures^  (they 
know  to  well  how  to  suffer,  and  are  suffering  in  too 
noble  a  cause,)  were  not  covered,  even  with  rags  j 
but  their  steady  countenances,  and  their  arms  in 
good  order,  seemed  to  supply  the  defect  of  cloaths, 
and  to  display  nothing  but  their  courage  and  their 
patience."  He  continued  his  journey  "in  the 
woods,  in  a  road  hemmed  in  on  both  sides  by  very 
steep  hills,  which  seemed  admirably  adapted  for  the 
dwelling  of  bears,  and  where  in  fact  they  often 
make  their  appearance  in  winter."  He  availed 
himself  "  at  length  of  a  less  difficult  part  of  these 
mountains  to  turn  to  the  westward."  Descending 
slowly  towards  the  river,  "  at  the  turning  of  the 
road,"  he  says,  "  my  eyes  were  struck  with  the 
most  magnificent  picture  I  had  ever  beheld.  It 
was  a  view  of,  the  North  River,  running  in  a  deep 
channel  formed  by  the  mountains,  through  which, 
in  fbrmer  ages  it  had  forced  its  passage.  The  fort 
of  West  Point  and  the  formidable  batteries  which 


defend  it  fix  the  attention  on  the  western  bank, 
but  on  Kfting  your  eyes  you  behold  on  every  side 
lofty  summits,  thick  set  with  redoubts  and  bat- 
teries." 

The  following  month,  (December,)  DeChastellux, 
having  visited  Washington  at  "  Prakness,"  and 
extended  his  travels  south  to  Philadelphia  and  the 
battle-field  of  Brandywine,  turned  his  steps  north 
to  visit  the  battlefields  of  Stillwater  and  Saratoga. 
From  New  Windsor,  which  was  then  the  head- 
quarters of  Gen.  Washington,  he  crossed  the  Hud- 
son to  "  Fishkill  Landing  Placed'  accompanied  by 
that  officer,  in  whose  barge  he  made  the  passage. 
The  object  of  crossing  the  river  at  this  point  was, 
he  says,  "  to  gain  the  eastern  road,  preferred  by 
travellers  to  the  western."  Here  he  took  leave  of 
Washington,  who  insisted  that  Col.  Smith  should 
accompany'him  to  " Pougkk^nsie"  (Poughkeepsie.) 
"  The  road  to  this  town,"  he  says,  "  passes  pretty 
near  Fishkill,  which  we  leave  on  the  right,  from 
thence  we  travel  on  the  heights,  where  there  is  a 
beautiful  and  extensive  prospect,  and  traversing  a 
township,  called  Middlebrook,  arrive  at  the  creek, 
and  at  Wapping  Fall.  There  I  halted  a  few 
minutes  to  consider,  under  different  points  of  view, 
the  charming  landscape  formed  by  this  river,  as 
well  from  its  cascade,  which  is  roaring  and  pictur- 
esque, as  from  the  groups  of  trees  and  rocks,  which, 
combined  with-  a  number  of  saw-mills  and  furnaces, 
compose  the  most  capricious  and  romantic  pros- 
pect." 

It  was  his  intention  to  stop  over  night  at  "Pough- 
kensie,"  where  he  arrived  at  half-past  three  in  the 
afternoon ;  "  but  finding  that  the  sessions  were 
then  holding,  and  that  all  the  taverns  were  full," 
he  proceeded  three  miles  further,  to  '■'■Prides 
Tavern"  regretting  not  having  seen  Governor 
Clinton,  who  "was  then  at  Poughkensie,  but 
taken  up  with  the  business  of  the  sessions."  At 
"Pride's  Tavern"  he  interrogated  the  landlord, 
whose  name  was  Pride,  and  whom  he  perceived  to 
be  a  good  farmer,  on  the  subject  of  agriculture, 
and  drew  from  him  the  information  that  "  the  land 
is  very  fertile  in  Duchess  County,  *  *  *  but 
it  is  commonly  left  fallow  one  year  out  of  two 
or  three,  less  from  necessity  than  from  there  being 
more  land  than  they  can  cultivate.  A  bushel  of 
wheat  at  most  is  sown  upon  an  acre,  which  renders 
twenty,  and  five-and-twenty  for  one.  Some 
farmers  sow  oats  on  the  land  that  has  borne  wheat 
the  preceding  year,  but  this  grain  in  general  is  re- 
served for  lands  newly  turned  up ;  flax  is  also  a 
considerable  object  of  cultivation ;   the    land    is 


DE  CHASTELLUX'S  TRAVELS  THROUGH  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


69 


ploughed  with  horses,  two  or  three  to  a  plough ; 
sometimes  even  a  greater  number  when  on  new 
land,  or  that  which  has  long  lain  fallow."  Mr. 
Pride,  he  says,  while  giving  these  details,  always 
flattered  him  with  hopes  of  fine  weather  the  next 
day ;  in  the  morning,  however,  he  was  chagrined 
to  find  that  the  ground  was  "ahready  entirely 
white,"  while  snow  "continued  to  fall  in  abun- 
dance, mixed  with  hail  and  ice."  He  continued 
his  journey,  notwithstanding,  ''only  taking  a  little 
better  breakfast  than  I  should  otherwise  have 
done,"  he  says,  probably,  as  he  does  not  other- 
wise explain  his  motive,  as  a  punitive  reward  for 
the  erroneous  prognostications  of  his  landlord. 
"  But  I  regretted  most,"  he  adds,  "  that  the  snow, 
or  rather  small  hail  that  drove  against  my  eyes, 
prevented  me  from  seeing  the  country ;  which,  as 
far  as  I  could  judge,  is  beautiful  and  well  cultivated. 
After  the  travelling  about  ten  miles,  I  traversed 
the  township  of  Strasbourg,  called  by  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  country  Strattsborough  [Staatsburgh.] 
This  township  is  five  or  six  miles  long,  yet  the 
houses  are  not  far  from  each  other." 

"You  scarcely  get  out  of  Stratsbourgh,"  he  says, 
"before  you  enter  the  township  of  Rhynbeck-" 
where,  he  observes,  "  nobody  came  out  to  ask  me 
to  dinner."  "  But  this  snow  mixed  with  hail  was 
so  cold,  and  I  was  so  fatigued  with  keeping  my 
horse  from  slipping,  that  I  should  have  stopped 
here  even  without  being  invited  by  the  handsome 
appearance  of  the  inn  called  Thomas's  Inn.  It  was 
no  more,  however,  than  half  past  two ;  but  as  I  had 
already  come  three  and  twenty  miles,  the  house 
was  good,  the  fire  well-lighted,  my  host  a  tall,  good- 
looking  man,  a  sportsman,  a  horse  dealer,  and  dis- 
posed to  chat,  I  determined  according  to  the  English 
phrase  to  spend  the  rest  of  my  day  there."  Mr. 
Thomas,  who  was  the  owner  of  "some  dogs  of  a 
beautiful  kind,"  which  awakened  the  Marquis'  pas- 
sion for  a  chase,  and,  in  time  of  peace,  had  carried 
on  a  great  trade  of  horses,  which  he  purchased  in 
Canada  and  sent  to  New  York,  there  to  be  shipped 
to  the  West  Indies,  regaled  his  distinguished  guest 
with  the  recital  of  his  experiences  as  a  sportsman 
and  horse  trader,  and  with  the  more  important  in- 
formation, "  that  in  the  neighborhood  of  Rhynbeck 
the  land  was  uncommonly  fruitful,  and  that  for  a 
bushel  of  sown  wheat  he  reaped  from  thirty  to 
forty.  The  corn  is  so  abundant  that  they  do  not 
take  the  trouble  of  cutting  it  with  a  sickle,  but 
mow  it  like  hay."  The  Marquis'  opinion  of  his 
host's  patriotism  was  not  of  an  exalted  nature.  "He 
was  "  he  says,  "  too  rich,  and  complained  too  much 


of  the  flour  he  furnished  for  the  army  to  let  me 
think  him  a  good  whig."  De  Chastellux  left 
Thomas'  Inn  December  23d,  and  we  leave  him  to 
pursue  his  journey  through  Livingston  Manor, 
Claverack,  Kinderhook  and  Albany  to  the  historic 
fields  of  Saratoga,  of  all  of  which  he  gives  a  most 
interesting  description. 

Two  years  after  his  first  visit,  in  December 
1782,  DeChastellux  again  visited  this  section,  while 
on  his  way  from  Rhode  Island  to  the  headquarters 
of  Washington,  then  at  Newburgh.  The  war  had 
ceased;  the  preUminaries  of  peace  had  been 
arranged  between  the  United  States,  Great  Britain 
and  France ;  and  the  French  allies  of  the  former 
were  about  to  depart  from  America.  The  Marquis 
had  taken  his  usual  route  from  Hartford  through 
Litchfield,  down  the  Housatonic  to  Bull's  Bridge, 
and  up  Ten-Mile  River  to  Moorhouse's  Tavern, 
where  he  arrived  at  five  in  the  afternoon  of  Decem- 
ber 4th. 

"  The  5th  we  set  out  at  nine,  and  rode  without 
stopping,  to  Fish-kill,  where  we  arrived  at  half-past 
two,  after  a  four-and-twenty  miles  journey  through 
very  bad  roads.  I  alighted  at  Boerorris  tavern, 
which  I  knew  to  be  the  same  I  had  been  at  two 
years  before,  and  kept  by  Mrs.  Egremont.  The 
house  was  changed  for  the  better,  and  we  made  a 
very  good  supper.  We  passed  the  North  River  as 
night  came  on,  and  arrived  at  six  o'clock  at  New- 
burgh."* 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Early  Civil  Divisions — Duchess  County  Di- 
vided Into  Wards,  Precincts  and  Towns — 
Topography  of  County — Its  Mountains  and 
Streams — Measures    for    Re-Stocking  the 

LATTER  WITH  FiSH ClIMATE TEMPERATURE 

Rain-Fall — Snow-Fall — Thaws — Direction 
and  Prevalence  of  Winds — Mortality  of 
Duchess  as  Compared  with  other  Counties 
IN  the  State — Soils — Agriculture — Staple 
Productions — Manufactures. 

PREVIOUS  to  1683,  the  State  of  New  York 
had  no  other  distinctive  civil  divisions  than 
manors,  cities  and  villages.  In  1638,  the  Dutch 
gave  to  all  that  part  of  the  State  lying  west  of 
Albany  its  first  specific  designation— 7>rra  Incog- 
nita]— a    name    nearly  as    appropriate   even    a 

*DeChastellux's  Travels  In  North  America.,  London  Ed.,  /.,  56— 
7Z,  J51 — 367;  I!..,'2^i — joi.  Historical  Sketches  by  Benson  J.  Lossing^t 
LL.  D.,  in  Poughkeepsie  Daily  Eagle,  November  1873. 

t  Tumer^s  Pioneer  History  of  Phelps  and  Gorhanis  Purchase.,  126, 


70 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


century  later.  November  i,  1683,  the  Province 
of  New  York  was  divided  into  twelve  counties 
which  were  named  from  the  titles  of  the  royal 
family.*  Duchess  was  one  of  the  twelve,  and  then 
embraced  the  present  county  of  Putnam  and  the 
towns  of  Clermont  and  Germantown,  in  Columbia 
county;  the  latter  of  which  were  annexed  to 
Albany  county  in  1717,  and  the  former  constituted 
a  separate  county  June  t2,  181 2.  Its  boundaries, 
as  defined  in  the  original  act,  were  Roelaff  Jansen's 
Kill  on  the  north  to  the  county  of  Westchester, 
south  of  the  Highlands,  on  the  south,  and  east 
from  the  Hudson  into  the  woods  twenty  miles.  It 
was  then,  it  is  supposed,  uninhabited  by  white  men ; 
and  October  18,  1701,  "having  very  few  inhabi- 
tants," was  provisionally  annexed  to  Ulster  county, 
where  its  freeholders  were  entitled  to  vote,  as 
though  they  resided  there.  It  retained  that  con- 
nection till  October  23, 1 7 13,  when  having  increased 
in  population,  it  was  deemed  "  necessary  that  they 
should  have  county  officers  of  their  own,"  and  by 
an  act  of  the  assembly  "Dutchy  County"  was  em- 
powered to  elect  a  supervisor,  treasurer,  assessors 
and  collectors.! 

In  17 19,  the  county  was  divided  into  three 
wards  designated  Northern,  Middle  and  Southern, 
each  entitled  to  a  supervisor.  The  North  Ward  ex- 
tended from  Roelaff  Jansen's  Kill  south  to  Cline 
Sopas  Island,  (Little  Esopus  Island,)  the  Middle 
Ward,  thence  to  Wappinger  Creek,  and  the 
South  Ward,  thence  below  the  Highlands  to  the 
south  border  of  the  county.  Each  extended  from 
the  Hudson  to  the  Connecticut  line,  the  present 
west  line  of  the  Oblong,  across  which  they  were 
extended  December  17,  1743.  December  16, 
1737,  the  county  was  divided  into  seven  precincts — 
designated  Beekman,  Charlotte,  Crom  Elbow, 
North,  Poughkeepsie,  Rhinebeck  and  South  East 
town — with  municipal  jurisdiction  similar  to  that 
of  towns.  The  wages  of  each  Supervisor  was 
limited  to  three  shillings  per  day.  Some  of  these 
names  are  lost  in  the  subsequent  divisions  which 
took  place.  From  these  seven  precincts  others 
were  subsequently  formed :     North  East,  Dec.  1 6, 

*  These  original  counties  were:  Albany,  Cornwall,  (now  in  Maine,) 
Dukes,  (now  in  Massachusetts,)  Duchess,  Kings,  New  York,  Orange, 
Queens,  Richmond,  Suffolk,  Ulster  and  Westchester. 

t  The  records  of  the  county  previous  to  171S,  if  any  were  kept,  are 
either  lost  or  destroyed.  The  first  recorded  election  of  Supervisors  was 
held  at  "Pocopsang,."  April  5,  lyzo,  and  Johannes  Ter  Boss,  of  the 
South  Ward,  Heniy  Van  Der  Burgh,  of  the  Middle  Ward,  and  WiUiam 
Traphagen,  of  the  North  Ward,  were  chosen.  The  first  meeting  of  these 
supervisors  was  held  January  20,  1721,  at  which  time  county  allowances 
were  made  to  the  amount  of  £^0.  4s.  7d.  The  bills  of  Trynte  Van  Kleek, 
wido^v,  for  victualing  the  assessors  and  supervisors,  amounting  to  nine 
shillings,  and  of  Jacobus  Van  Der  Bogart,  for  horse  fodder  furnished  the 
assessors,  amounting  to  three  shillings,  were  allowed. 


1746;  Pawlings,  Dec.  31,  1768;  Amenia,  March 
20,  1762  ;  and  Frederickstown,  March  24,  1772. 
Rombout  and  Fishkill  Precincts  are  also  men- 
tioned in  records  of  the  colonial  period.  Beek- 
man was  reduced  by  the  formation  of  Pawhngs. 
Charlotte  and  Rhinebeck, — the  latter  of  which 
included  the  lands  purchased  of  the  widow 
Paulding  and  her  children  by  Dr.  Samuel  Statts, 
all  the  land  granted  to  Adrian,  Roosa,  and  Cotbe, 
the  land. patented  to  Col.  Henry  Beekman  June  5, 
1703,  and  the  Magdalen  Island  Purchase  granted 
to  Col.  Peter  Schuyler,  and  derived  its  name  from 
the  first  settlers,  who  were  from  the  Rhine,  and  the 
original  proprietor,  Colonel  Beekman — formed  the 
original  town  of  Clinton.  Amenia  included 
portions  of  Amenia  and  North  East,  and  the 
whole  of  Washington,  Pleasant  Valley,  Stanford, 
Clinton  and  Hyde  Park;  North  East,  named 
from  its  geographical  position  in  the  county,  em- 
braced the  Little  or  Upper  Nine  Partners' 
Tract.  Poughkeepsie  corresponded  with  the 
present  town  of -that  name.  March  7,  1788,  the 
county  (except  Clinton,  which  was  formed  March 
13,  1786,)  was  divided  into  eight  towns,*  viz: 
Amenia,  Beekman,  (from  which  a  part  of  Freedom — 
now  LaGrange — ^was  taken  in  1821,  and  a  part  of 
Union  Vale,  in  1827,)  Fishkill,  (from  which  a  part 
of  Freedom  was  taken  in  1821,  East  Fishkill,  in 
1849,  and  Wappinger,in  1875,)  North  East,  (from 
which  Milan  was  taken  in  1818,  and  Pine  Plains, 
in  1823.)  Pawling,  (from  which  Dover  was  taken 
in  1807,)  Poughkeepsie,  (from  which  the  city  of 
Poughkeepsie  was  taken  in  1854,)  Rhinebeck, 
(from  which  Red  Hook  was  taken  in  181 2,)  and 
Washington,  (from  which  Stanford  was  taken  in 
1793-)  Two  other  towns  were  subsequently 
formed  from  CUnton  in  182T,  Hyde  Park  and 
Pleasant  Valley,  making  the  present  number  of 
towns,  twenty. 

The  county  lies  upon  the  east  bank  of  the  Hud- 
son, extending  thence  east  to  the  Connecticut  line, 
and  is  about  midway  between  New  York  and  Al- 
bany, being  centrally  distant  from  the  latter  about 
seventy-five  miles,  and  from  the  former  about  sev- 
enty miles.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Colum- 
bia County,  and  on  the  south  by  Putnam.  It  is 
geographically  situated  between  41°  25'  and  42° 

*  Frederickstown,  (now  Kent, )  which  like  the  precinct  of  that  name, 
derived  its  name  from  Frederidt  Philipse,  and  its  present  name,  to  which 
it  was  changed  April  15,  1817,  from  the  Kent  family,  who  were  e^j:ly  set- 
tlers ;  Philipstown,  from  which  a  part  of  Fishkill  was  taken  in  1806,  and 
which,  Kke  Philips  Precinct,  formed  March  24,  1771,  derived  its  name 
from  Adolph  Philipse,  the  patentee  of  Philipse  Manor ;  and  South  East, 
in  Putnam  county,  but  then  in  Duchess,  were  formed  as  towns  March  7, 
1788. 


CONFIGURATION  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY— STREAMS. 


71 


4'  north  latitude,  and  3°  5'  and  3°  33'  east  longitude 
from  Washington.*  Its  area  is  486,254  acres.f  its 
greatest  length  nortli  and  south,  thirty-eight  miles, 
and  breadth,  east  and  west,  twenty-six  miles. 

The  following  table  shows  the  number  of  acres 
of  improved  land  in  each  town  in  1820  and  1875; 
the  total  number  of  acres  in  each  town,  and  the 
total  equalized  valuation  of  real  and  personal  prop- 
erty in  1880;  and  the  population  in  1820  and 
1880:— 


TOWNS 

Improved  Land,  Population. 

Area.^ 

Equalized 
Valuation.^ 

1820.11 

"875.  § 

l820.§ 

l88o.§ 

Amenia        

Beekman 

32,306 

19,157 
22,441 

43.240 
18,988 
31,091 
15.392 
17,347 
15,677 

tt 
16,399 
17.572 

17,73° 
18,831 
14.178 

§§ 

24,323 

18,506 
14,329 
19,800 
17,178 
23.415 
24,289 
1 7. '45 

22,SZO 
17.586 
20,208 
19,859 
14,967 
17.747 

M,0S7 

i/,463 
18,134 
26,925 
17,028 

§§ 
52, 321 

2,865 
2.384 

6,940 
2,300 
2,655 
1.797 
2,037 
1,804 
t+ 

1,927 
5,726 

2,714 
2,729 
2,518 
tt 

4182 

2,697 
1,581 
1,640 
2,281 
«.575 
10,734 
2,890 
1.745 
1,275 
2,181 
2,004 
I,3S2 

20I207 
4,47' 
3.905 
2.092 
1,407 
4.966 
2.854 

26,087 
18,512 
24,100 
32,392 

33,221 
18,715 
23,098 
25,816 
22,676 
26,182 
27,594 
■8,531 
20,108 
17,782 

22.255 
21,535 
31,642 
23,403 
16,001 
36,806 

*  '.255.557 
707,687 

Dover     

East  Fishkill 

Fishkill 

Hyde  Park , 

La  Grange.. 
Milan  

1,118,006 
1.079.9'+ 
3,493.941 
1,965,440 
1,189,490 

578,179 

1,207,865 

1,269,494 

777,324 

952,660 

2,400,511 

11,835,167 

1,275,246 

625,529 

1,606,603 

1.458,059 

North  East 

Pawling 

Pine  Plains 
Pleasant  VaUey.... 
Po'keepsie,  Town . 
do            City.. 

RedHook  

Rhinebeck  ... 

Stanford        

Union  Vale. 
Wappinger     . 
Washington 

Total 342,811 

373,477 

46,615 

79.273 

486,254 

$41,001,927 

W  Stafford's  Gazetteer.,  1824,  149. 

§  Census  Reports, 

'i  Proceeding's  0/ the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Duchess  County,  1880, 

**  Included  in  Fishkill. 

+t  Included  in  North  East. 

it  Included  iu  Beekman  and  La  Grange. 

|§  Included  in  Fishkill. 

The  surface  of  the  county  is  diversified,  and 
produces  a  variety  of  soil  and  scenery.  It  is  gen- 
erally hilly ;  but  mountainous  in  the  east  and  south. 
It  may  be  divided  into  two  great  valleys :  that  on 
the  east  bounded  by  the  Taconic  and  Mattea- 
wan  or  Fishkill  mountains,  the  former  of  which, 
occupying  the  east  border  of  the  county,  rise  from 
300  to  500  feet  above  the  valleys,  and  i,ooo  to 
1,200  feet  above  tide,  and  the  latter,  extending  in 
a  broad  range,  north  and  south,  through  the  cen- 
tral part  of  the  county,  with  a  spur  extending  west 
along  the  south  border  to  the  river,  have  an  average 
elevation  of  i,ooo  above  tide,  while  the  highest 
peaks,  along  the  south  border,  attain  an  altitude  of 
1,500  to  1,700  feet  ;t  that  on   the  west   spreads 

*  The  meridian  of  Washington  corresponds  with  the  seventy-seventh 
west  of  Greenwich. 

t  Report  of  the  Committee  on  Equalization  of  the  Board  0/  Super- 
visors, 1880  The  Census  of  1 87s  says  it  contains  472, 1 3  5  acres ;  Frenches 
and  Hough's  Gazetteers  of  New  York,  518,400,  (810  square  miles ;) 
Burr's  Atlas  4^<},joo  ;  Spafford's  Gazetteer  of  iSz^  464,000,  (725  square 
miles.) 

t  Old  Beacon,  two  miles  east  of  Matteawan  village,  is  1,471  feet  above 
tide  :  and  New  Beacon  or  Grand  Sachem,  a  half  mile  south  of  the  same 
place,  is  1,685  feet  above  tide.  These  eminences  derive  their  names  from 
beacons  placed  on  their  summits  during  the  Revolution.  Their  illumined 
crests  were  visible  for  a  long  distance  up  and  down  the  valley,  and  were 
a  pharos  to  give  warning  to  the  patriotic.  "  From  the  top  of  the  latter," 
says  BarhN,{Historical  Collections  of  the  State  of  New  York,^  "the  view 
on  the  south  embraces  the  country  upon  the  Hudson  for  25  miles,  to  Tap- 
pan  Bay ;  on  the  south-east  includes  Long  Island  and  the  Sound  ;  and 
upon  the  north-east  and  west  comprehends,  in  the  diameter  of  a  circle 
fifty  miles  in  extent,  scenery  of  every  diversity,  blending  the  beauties  of  cul- 
tivation with  the  stern  and  unchangeable  features  of  nature." 


between  the  Fishkill  Mountains  and  the  high  bank 
of  the  Hudson.     The  decUvities  of  the  Taconic 
Mountains,  and   those  on  the  south   border,  are 
generally  steep,  and  in  some  places  rocky ;  but  to- 
wards the  north,  the  latter  decline  more  gradually, 
and  the  country  assumes  a  rolling  character,  broken 
by  rounded  hills.     West  of  the  Fishkills,  and  be- 
tween the  streams,  are  rolling  ridges,  whose  line  of 
bearing,  from  south-west  to  north-east,  corresponds 
with  that  of  the  mountains.     They  terminate  upon 
the  river  in  a  series  of  bluffs  from  loo  to  i8o  feet 
in  height.     Some   of  these   are   broken   by  deep 
ravines,  and  become  isolated  hills.     The  mountains 
upon  the  south  border  form  the  northern  extrem- 
ities of  the  Highlands,  in  whose  "awful  defiles," 
says  Irving,  in  his  authentic  history  of  New  York, 
by  Diedrich  Knickerbocker,  "it  would  seem  that 
the  gigantic  Titans  had  erst  waged  their  impious 
war  with  heaven,  piling  up  cliffs  on  cliffs,  and  hurl- 
ing vast  masses  of  rock  in  wild  confusion  ;"  and 
through  whose  "stupendous  ruins,"  "at  length  the 
conquering  Hudson,  in  his  irresistible  career  towards 
the  ocean,"  having  burst  the  formidable    barrier, 
rolls    "  his  tide  triumphantly."     A  break  in  these 
mountains,  in  the  east  part,   opening  toward  the 
south,  and  known  as  the  Wiccopee  Pass,  was  care- 
fully guarded  during  the  Revolution,  to  prevent  the 
British    from   capturing  the   American   stores  at 
Fishkill  and  turning  the  works  at  West  Point.     A 
considerable  American  force  was  stationed  at  the 
upper  extremity  of  the  pqss  during  the  campaign 
of  1777. 

The  principal  streams  besides  the  Hudson,  which 
form  the  west  boundary,  are  the  Fishkill,  Fallkill, 
Sawkill,  and  Wappinger,  Crom  Elbow  and  Landi- 
mons  Creeks,  tributaries  of  the  Hudson,  all  flowing 
into  it  in  a  south-westerly  direction,  Sprout  Creek, 
a  considerable  branch  of  the  Fishkill,  Ten  Mile 
River,  a  tributary  of  the  Housatonic,  Swamp  River, 
a  tributary  of  the  latter,  Roelaff  Jansen's  Kill,  flow- 
ing through  a  portion  of  the  extreme  north  part  of 
the  county,  and  Croton  River.  There  are  innum- 
erable small  streams  tributary  to  these,  which  rise 
in  springs  upon  the  mountain  slopes ;  and  among 
the  highlands  in  the  central  and  eastern  portions 
are  numerous  beautiful  little  lakes,  noted  for  the 
purity  of  their  waters  and  the  beauty  of  the  scen- 
ery immediately  about  them. 

Hudson  River  is  the  most  important  and  the 
most  picturesque  of  the  interior  water  courses  of 
the  State.  Its  basin  occupies  about  two-thirds  of 
the  east  border  of  the  State,  and  a  large  territory 
extending  into  the  interior.     It  rises  from  springs 


72 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


and  lakelets  on  Mt.  Marcy,  a  peak  of  the  Adiron- 
dacks,  towering  to  the  height  of  5,467  feet  above 
tide,  the  highest  land  in  the  State,  and  is  fed  by 
numerous  branches  which  cover  the  whole  moun- 
tain chain  of  the  Adirondacks.  It  descends  rapidly 
through  narrow  defiles  into  Warren  county,  where 
it  receives  from  the  east  the  outlet  of  SchroonLake, 
and  from  the  west  the  Sacondaga  River.  Below  the 
mouth  of  the  latter  it  turns  eastward,  and  in  a 
series  of  rapids  and  falls  breaks  through  the  barrier 
of  the  Luzerne  Mountains.  At  Fort  Edward  it  again 
flows  south,  with  rapid  current,  frequently  inter- 
rupted by  falls,  to  Troy,  160  miles  from  the  occean, 
where  it  becomes  an  estuary,  its  current  being 
affected  by  the  tide;  and  from  thence  to  its  mouth 
it  is  a  broad,  deep,  sluggish  stream.  Above  Troy 
it  receives  the  Hoosick  from  the  east  and  the 
Mohawk  from  the  west ;  the  former  rising  in  west- 
ern Massachusetts  and  Vermont,  and  the  latter  in 
the  north-east  part  of  Oneida  county.  Below  Troy 
its  tributaries  are  comparatively  small.  About 
sixty  miles  from  its  mouth  it  breaks  through  the 
rocky  barrier  of  the  Highlands,  the  most  easterly 
of  the  Appalachian  mountain  ranges ;  and  along 
its  lower  course  is  bordered  on  the  west  by  a  nearly 
perpendicular  wall  of  basaltic  rock  300  to  500  feet 
high,  known  as  "The  Palisades."  South  of  the 
Highlands  it  spreads  out  into  a  wide  expanse 
known  as  "  Tappan  Bay."  In  its  whole  course  it 
is  300  miles  in  length.  At  its  mouth  the  Hudson 
is  navigated  by  the  largest  ships ;  it  opens  a  sloop 
navigation  to  Waterford,  from  which  place  it  is 
connected  by  Champlain  Canal  with  Lake  Cham- 
plain  at  Whitehall.  At  present  it  is  navigable  for 
ships  to  Hudson  and  Athens,  and  for  sloops  and 
steamers  to  Troy.  Boats  formerly  ascended  to 
Fort  Edward,  with  portages  around  the  rapids.  At 
Poughkeepsie,  from  the  high  point  above  the  ferry 
dock  to  the  landing  opposite  near  the  ferry  dock, 
the  river  is  2,420  feet  wide.  The  depth  of  water 
in  the  midle  is  forty-nine  feet;  and  the  average 
depth  on  either  side,  51  feet.  The  mean  rise  and 
fall  of  tides  at  Poughkeepsie  is  3.24  feet;  at  Tivoli, 
3.95  feet.  The  mean  rise  and  fall  of  spring  tides 
at  those  places  is  4  and  4.8  feet  respectively;  and 
of  neap  tides,  2.4  and  3  feet. 

The  Fishkill  is  a  name  compounded  of  the  En- 
glish word  Fish  and  the  Dutch  word  .S"///,  (meaning 
creek,)  and,  like  the  mountains  in  which  it  rises 
was  called  by  the  aborigines  Matteawan,  a  name 
whose  euphony  has  not  been  improved  by  the 
change.  The  name  signified,  says  Spafford,  "the 
country  of  good  fur."     The  stream  was  called  by 


the  early  Dutch  settlers  Vis-Kill.  It  rises  by  two 
main  branches  in  the  town  of  Union  Vale.  The 
easterly  branch  is  known  as  Gardiner  Hollow 
brook;  the  westerly  and  most  northerly  one,  as 
Clove  Stream;  they  unite  near  the  center  of  the 
town  of  Beekman,  and  thence  the  main  stream 
flows  in  a  south-westerly  direction  through  the  cen- 
tral parts  of  East  Fishkill  and  Fishkill,  and  empties 
into  the  Hudson  near  the  south  border  of  the  latter 
town.  It  presents  numerous  cascades,  and  fur- 
nishes a  valuable  hydraulic  power.  It  receives  in 
its  course  many  small  streams,  the  principal  of 
which  is  Sprout-creek,  which  rises  in  the  south- 
west part  of  Washington  and  north-west  part  of 
Union  Vale,  and  flows  in  a  south-westerly  direc- 
tion through  La  Grange,  forming  the  boundary 
between  East  Fishkill  and  Wappinger,  to  near  the 
center  of  the  west  border  of  the  former  town,  where 
it  unites  with  the  Fishkill.  The  latter  stream,  (the 
Fishkill)  is  rapid  in  the  upper  and  lower  parts  of 
its  course,  but  sluggish  through  the  Fishkill  plains. 
From  Fishkill  village  to  its  mouth,  the  fall  is  187 
feet  in  a  distance  of  five  miles,  affording  ten  val- 
uable mill  sites.  It  propels  several  manufacturing 
establishments  in  Beekman,  and  the  extensive  fac- 
tories of  Matteawan  and  Glenham. 

Wappinger  Creek,  the  largest  in  the  county, 
derives  its  name  from  the  Wappinger  or  Wap- 
pingi  tribe  of  Indians,  who  dwelt  at  its  falls  near  the 
Hudson,  and  called  it  Maevenawasigh,  "a  large 
good  stream  and  cascade."  On  Sauthier's  map  it 
is  called  the  "  Great  Wappingers  Creek."  It  rises 
in  Stissing  Pond,  in  the  town  of  Pine  Plains,  and 
traverses  the  county  from  north-east  to  south-west, 
for  a  distance  of  about  thirty-five  miles,  passing 
diagonally  through  Stanford,  across  the  south-east 
corner  of  Clinton,  diagonally  through  Pleasant  Val- 
ley, and  from  thence  forms  the  bouridary  between 
the  towns  of  Poughkeepsie,  LaGrange  and  Wap- 
pinger. It  unites  with  the  Hudson  at  New  Ham- 
burgh, nine  miles  below  the  city  of  Poughkeepsie. 
It  receives  many  streams  on  either  hand,  and  sup- 
pHes  many  valuable  mill  seats.  It  is  everywhere 
a  highly  picturesque  stream. 

Ten  Mile  River  rises  by  several  branches  in  the 
east  part  of  the  county  and  in  the  town  of  Sharon, 
Connecticut.  It  flows  south  through  Amenia  and 
Dover,  and  in  the  south  part  of  the  latter  town 
deflects  east  into  Connecticut,  emptying  into  the 
Housatonic.  Its  tributaries  from  the  north,  ,Was- 
saic  and  Deep  Hollow  Brooks,  do  not  much  ex- 
ceed five  miles  in  length ;  and  Swamp  River  from 
the  south,  rising  from  a  morass  in  Pawling,  (which 


STREAMS  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


73 


is  also  the  source  of  Croton  River,  which  supplies 
the  city  of  New  York  with  water,)  may  have  a 
course  of  about  eight  miles. 

Cro7n  Elbow  Creek,  a  name  compounded  of  the 
Dutch  Crom  (crooked)  and  the  English  Elbow, 
and  given  also  by  the  Dutch  to  a  sudden  bend  in 
the  river  a  little  above  the  mouth  of  this  creek, 
where  it  is  contracted  to  a  narrow  channel  between 
rocky  bluffs,  is  a  very  crooked  stream,  some  eight 
or  ten  miles  in  length,  rising  among  the  hills  at  the 
intersection  of  the  towns  of  Milan,  Clinton  and 
Rhinebeck,  and  flows  in  a  south-westerly  direction 
to  Union  Comers,  near  the  central  part  of  the 
town  of  Hyde  Park,  where  it  turns  at  nearly  right 
angles  to  the  west,  uniting  with  the  Hudson  near 
the  village  of  Hyde  Park.  In  its  upper  course  it 
forms  the  south  half  of  the  east  boundary  of  the 
town  of  Rhinebeck,  and  the  north  half  of  the  west 
boundary  of  Clinton.  It  is  a  placid  brook  for  the 
greater  part  of  its  course,  but  has  much  fall  in  its 
passage  through  the  high  bank  of .  the  Hudson, 
where  it  supplies  some  mill  seats.  On  Sau- 
thier's  map  and  in  some  old  deeds  this  creek  is 
called  Fishkill,  a  name,  indeed,  which  has  been 
applied  to  a  vast  number  of  streams  in  this 
State. 

The  Fallkill,  sweetly  called  by  the  Indians  the 
Winnakee,  signifying  "  leap-stream"  is  a  small,  but 
was  once  a  valuable  mill-stream.  It  rises  in  the 
town  of  Clinton,  and  for  the  first  six  miles  flows 
rapidly  over  a  rock  or  gravel  bed,  between  high  and 
rocky  hills.  Below  this  point  to  the  city  line,  it 
moves  for  the  greater  part  of  the  way  sluggishly 
along  its  crooked  channel  through  muck,  swamp 
and  low  meadow  land.  Here  it  receives  its  load 
of  decomposing  vegetable  matter,  which,  together 
with  animal  matter,  the  surface  drainage  from  the 
streets,  and  the  refuse  from  tan-pits  and  slaughter- 
houses within  the  city  limits,  deposited  upon  the 
bottoms  and  banks  of  the  several  mill  ponds  within 
the  city,  proved  so  deleterious  to  the  health  of  the 
citizens  of  Poughkeepsie,  that  it  necessitated  the  re- 
moval of  most  of  the  dams  and  the  straightening 
of  the  channel  through  the  city.  It  is  a  "  quick 
stream,"  speedily  affected  by  rains,  the  soil  which 
covers  its  rocky  hills  being  shallow  and  not  reten- 
tive of  water ;  for  the  same  reason  it  rapidly 
resumes  its  natural  flow.  It  reaches  the  river  by 
a  series  of  cascades  in  the  north  part  of  the  city, 
emptying  into  what  was  once  a  sheltered  cove, 
which  the  aborigines  called  Apokeepsing,  or  "safe 
harbor"  from  which  the  beautiful  rural  city  upon 
its  borders  derives  its  name.     Several  of  the  smaller 


streams,  with  which  the  county  abounds,  furnish 
excellent  mill  sites. 

The  streams  and  lakes  within  the  county  were 
abundantly  stored  with  choice  fish  during  the  early 
years  of  settlement ;  but  the  contamination  of  their 
waters  by  the  refuse  from  factories  and  other 
causes  depleted  them.  Measures  have  been  taken 
to  restock  them.  About  1822,  pickerel  were  in- 
troduced into  Thompson's  Pond,  a  beautiful  sheet 
of  water  lying  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town  of 
Stanford,  by  James  Dudley  and  one  or  two  others 
whose  names  are  not  remembered.  They  were 
taken  from  one  of  the  numerous  lakes  in  Western 
Connecticut,  carried  across  the  country  in  wash- 
tubs,  and  safely  deposited.  They  lived  and  mul- 
tiplied abundantly.  Mr.  Dudley  was  one  of  the 
most  skillful  anglers  for  trout  in  all  that  region  of 
country.  He  carried  on  blacksmithing  in  connec- 
tion with  a  small  farm  near  "the  old  separate  meet- 
ing-house," which,  in  early  times,  was  widely  known 
as  "  the  yellow-meeting-house,"  and  was  a  guide 
point  in  all  that  part  of  the  country.  But,  like 
many  other  old  landmarks,  it  has  gone,  and  little 
remains  to  mark  the  spot  where  it  stood  so  long, 
except  "God's  acre"  adjoining  it,  where  rest  the 
remains  of  many  of  the  early  settlers  of  that  fruit- 
ful and  beautiful  valley. 

About  the  same  time  pickerel  were  transplanted 
from  New  Milford,  Connecticut,  to  Silver  Lake,  on 
the  borders  of  the  towns  of  East  Fishkill  and  Beek- 
man.  They  were  transported  in  large  casks  across 
the  country,  a  distance  of  full  twenty  miles. 

In  December,  1877,  the  Supervisors  appointed 
a  committee,  consisting  of  J.  S.  VanCleef,  P.  A.  M. 
VanWyck,  Albert  Emons,  James  H.  Weeks,  David 
Warner  and  Peter  H.  Christie,  to  stock  the  waters 
of  the  county  and  to  enforce  the  laws  relative  to 
the  taking  offish.  In  1878,  the  committee  reported 
that,  "  as  far  as  your  committee  are  informed,  the 
waters  of  this  county  suitable  for  salmon  trout 
have  been  suflSciently  stocked.  During  the  last 
few  years  there  have  been  distributed  of  this  fish 
through  public  and  private  efibrt  not  less  than  150,- 
000,  a  large  proportion  of  which  seem  to  have  per- 
ished, either  because  the  water  was  not  adapted  to 
them,  or  because  they  were  devoured  by  their  nat- 
ural enemy,  the  black  bass  ;  and  it  is  respectfully 
suggested  that  the  efforts  at  stocking  our  streams 
for  the  coming  year  be  confined  mainly  to  brook 
trout  and  land-locked  salmon." 

The  climate  of  Duchess  County  is  agreeable  and 
healthful,  though,  from  the  elevations  of  some  por- 
tions of  it,  it  is  colder  than  some  of  the  adjacent 


74 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


counties.*  The  relative  temperature  of  different 
sections  of  the  State,  while  it  depends  chiefly  on 
latitude  and  elevation,  is  modified  in  some  degree 
by  a  variety  of  other  circumstances,  such  as  the 
situation  in  regard  to  the  sea,  or  other  large  bodies 
of  water,  both  as  it  respects  proximity  and  direc- 
tion; the  configuration  of  the  surface,  whether  level 
or  hilly,  and  the  position  and  shape  of  the  hills,  the 
nature  of  the  soil,  and  the  extent  of  cultivation  in 
the  surrounding  country.! 

The  difference  of  vegetation  between  the  eastern 
and  western  parts  of  the  State  is  from  ten  to  fifteen 
days  in  favor  of  the  latter.  The  harvests  are  gath- 
ered earlier,  and  vegetation  continues  longer.  The 
peach  tree,  in  the  same  parallels  along  thfe  Hudson, 
is  sickly,  and  in  the  Mohawk  country  rarely  bears 
fruit.  In  the  eastern  part  of  this  county  vegetation 
is  from  eight  to  ten  days  later  than  along  the  Hud- 
son. Between  Sandy  Hill  and  the  Matteawan 
Mountains  the  harvest  is  earlier  by  a  week  than 
on  the  Mohawk  between  the  east  limits  of  Mont- 
gomery County  and  the  west  limits  of  Herkimer 
County.  South  of  Matteawan  Mountains,  ap- 
proaching the  sea  coast,  the  climate  is  milder  and 
vegetation  earlier,  and  of  longer  continuance  than 
in  the  north  and  west.  J 

In  the  Hudson  Valley,  the  extreme  summer  heat 
is  greater  by  several  degrees  than  in  any  other  sec- 
tion of  the  State.  There  is  no  other  place  in  the 
State  where  the  thermometer  has  risen  so  high  on 
an  average  each  year  as  at  Montgomery,  Pough- 
keepsie  and  Lansingburgh.  This  must  be  under- 
stood as  applying  only  to  the  hottest  days  in'  each 
year,  and  not  to  the  average  of  the  seasons.  As 
we  ascend  the  Hudson,  the  opening  of  spring  grad- 
ually becomes  later,  the  difference  between  the 
vicinity  of  New  York  and  Albany  being  about  a 
week.§  It  is  also  characterized  by  the  opposite 
extreme.  In  1835,  a  year  of  great  severity  of  cold, 
the  thermometer  at  Poughkeepsie  reached  —35° 
on  the  ^th  of  January.  At  New  Lebanon,  Colum- 
bia County,  the  mercury  froze  the  same  day,  a 
condition  requiring  a  reduction  to  —  40^".  || 

Observations  made  during  a  period  of  eleven 
years  at  Poughkeepsie,  which  is  in  latitude  41°  41', 
and  at  the  level  of  tide  water,  showed  a  tempera- 
ture of  50.7  4°,  while  the  temperature  due  to  latitude 


*  Geographical  History-of  New  York,  Mather  and  Brockett,  187. 

t  Letter  of  James  H.  Coffin,  a  tutor  in  Williams  College,  dated  Sept. 
4,  184J,  and  published  in  Natural  History  of  New  York,  Pari  K,  Ag- 
riculture, 12. 

t  Gordon's  Gazetteer  of  the  State  of  New  York,  64. 

%  Cofin's  Letter;  Natural  History,  Part  V.,  Agriculture,  vi,  23. 

II  Blodgett's  Clivmtology,  148-150,  which  vatAt^  Niles'  Register,  AprU 
".  1835. 


and  elevation  is  49.67° — a  difference  of  1.07"  to 
be  attributed  to  other  causes  than  altitude  and  lat- 
itude. At  Red  Hook,  in  latitude  42°  2',  at  an 
elevation  of  fifty  feet,*  twelve  observations  showed 
the  temperature  to  be  48.81°,  while  the  tempera- 
ture due  to  latitude  and  elevation  is  49.13° — a 
reduction  of  .32°  by  other  causes  than  latitude 
and  elevation.  The  mean  temperature  of  the 
State,  as  determined  /rom  59  localities  and  577 
observations,  is  46.49°;  the  mean  annual  maxi- 
mum, from  59  localities  and  550  observations,  92°; 
the  mean  annual  minimum,  from  59  localities  and 
551  observations,  12°.  The  following  is  a  com- 
parison of  the  mean  temperature,  and  annual 
extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  with  the  average  of  the 
State  during  the  same  years : — 

Poughkeepsie.  Red  Hook.        State. 

Mean  temperature,         +4-25°     -I- 1.92°    46.49°! 
"      annual  maximum, -1-4.24°     -I-   .75"    92° 
"  "      minimum, -h  2.33'^     -1-3.42°    12° 

"  "      range,         +1.91°    —2.67°  104°! 

The  Hudson  Valley,  like  the  valleys  of  New 
York  generally,  has  less  rain  than  the  hills  or 
elevated  lands.  The  quantity  of  water  precipitated 
in  rain  is  proportioned  to  the  temperature,  and 
not  to  configuration  or  proximity  to  the  sea ;  but 
there  are  practical  exceptions  to  this  general  prin- 
ciple, and  an  example  is  furnished  in  the  district 
which  includes  the  highlands  and  mountains  of 
most  parts  of  the  New  England  States  and  New 
York,  which  has  more  rain  than  would  fall  to  it  by 
the  general  rule.  There  is  some  evidence  that  the 
contact  of  atmospheric  volumes  with  these  alti- 
tudes induces  a  share  of  the  precipitation.  We 
find  the  greatest  quantity  for  the  State  near  the 
Highlands  of  the  Hudson,  and  a  diminution  from 
this  line  both  towards  the  sea  and  inland.  Here 
topography  and  configuration  influence  the  result 
very  much.  The  rain-fall  in  the  region  of  the 
Southern  Highlands  exceeds  that  of  other  portions 
of  the  State  in  the  spring,  fall  and  winter,  very 
largely  in  the  latter  season,  while  it  is  less  in  the 
summer  season.  In  the  Hudson  Valley,  as  shown 
by  observations  between  1825  and  1855,  made  at 
eleven  academies  and  colleges  and  two  military 
posts,  36  inches  was  the  annual  rain  fall.  This  is  a 
falling  off  of  at  least  four  inches  from  the  country 
in  the  vicinity  on  either  side.  The  elevated  por- 
tions of  the  State,  including  Albany,  from  observa- 
tions from  1820  to  1850,  at  thirteen  academies, 
gave  a  corrected  average  of  nearly  39  inches  ;  and 

*  Both  Poughkeepsie  and  Red  Hook  are  at  the  level  of  tide  water,  but 
the  height  of  the  instrument  in  each  case  was  assumed  to  be  fifty  feet, 
t  -t-  means  more,  and  — ,  less  than  for  the  State. 
X  Covin's  Letter. 


METEOROLOGY— MORTALITY— SOIL. 


75 


as  the  points  of  observation  are  in  most  cases  in 
valleys  more  or  less  below  the  general  level  of  the 
country,  it  would  be  safe  to  assign  40  inches  as 
the  average  quantity  for  the  district  inclusive  of  its 
valleys.  Observations  at  Poughkeepsie  Academy 
during  fourteen  years  gave  38.13  inches,  and  at 
Red  Hook  Academy,  during  ten  years  34.73 
inches.*  Observations  made  at  Stanfordville  in 
this  county  in  1879,  show  the  total  precipitation 
in  rain,  snow,  etc.,  to  have  been  39.535  inches.f 

The  healthfulness  of  the  climate  as  compared 
with  that  of  other  counties  in  the  State  is  indicated 
in  a  measure  by  the  percentage  of  deaths.  The 
rate  in  this  county  is  1.17  j  while  the  average  for 
the  State  is  1.15.  Just  half  the  counties  in  the 
State  present  a  better  showing  than  Duchess,  while 
two  others  equal  it.  The  maximum  rate — 1.41 — 
is  in  Madison  county  ;  the  minimum — .85 — ,  in 
Clinton. t  The  mortality  in  Duchess,  however, 
would  seem  to  be  due  to  other  causes  than  cUmatic 
influence;  for  the  census  of  1880  exhibits  a  re- 
markable longevity  among  its  citizens.  In  the 
city  of  Poughkeepsie  there  were  635  persons  of 
seventy  years  or  over,  95  of  eighty  years  or  over, 
and  1 1  of  ninety  years  or  over.  In  the  county, 
outside  of  the  city,  there  were  1,994  of  seventy 
years  or  over,  410  of  eighty  years  or  over,  38  of 
ninety  years  or  over,  and  2  of  one  hundred  years 
or  over,  (Honora  Fitzgerald,  of  Amenia,  aged 
107,  and  Prince  Crosby,  of  Wappingers  Falls, 
aged  100;)  thus  making  a  total  of  3,185  persons 
in  the  county  who  had  reached  man's  allotted 
time  on  earth.  § 

The  soils  of  the  county  are  embraced  within 
the  two  districts  which  Prof.  Emmons  denominates 
the  Eastern  and  the  Hudson.  The  former  is  a 
narrow  belt  of  country  extending  from  the  Sound 
to  the  head  of  Lake  Champlain,  and  embraces  a 
large  proportion  of  the  counties  of  Duchess, 
Columbia,  Rensselaer  and  Washington  ;  the  latter 
comprises  the  valley  of  the  Hudson. 

The  Eastern  district,  though  long  and  narrow, 
is  very  constant  in  its  character,  features  and  pro- 
ductions throughout  its  entire  range.  The  soil, 
resting  upon  the  Taconic  system  of  rocks, 
consists  of  the  debris  of  those  rocks,  which,  ex- 
tending far  to  the  north,  and  in  the  direction  of 
the  drift,  have  not  changed  its  character.  It  is 
finer  than  those  derived  from  the  primary  rocks, 

'BlodgeU's  CHmatolosy,  345,343,  JS!,  354. 

t  Prof  J.  Hyatt's  Paper  on  The  Periodic  Distribution  of  the  Rain- 
fall at   Certain   Stations,  read   before  the    Poughkeepsie  Society  of 
Natural  Science-,  Jan.  l8,  1880. 
X  Census  of  187S. 
§  The  Sunday  Courier,  gf  Poughkeepsie,  Oct  3t,  1880. 


and  possesses  a  superiority  from  the  facility  with 
which  finely  divided  matter  absorbs  the  floating 
gases  of  the  atmosphere.  Some  difference  exists 
in  its  chemical  composition ;  and  some  of  the 
differences  observed  in  crops  are  due  to  elevation, 
combined  with  other  causes  necessarily  connected 
therewith.  The  Taconic  range  is  composed  of 
slate,  with  a  granular  limestone  at  the  east  base 
and  a  sparry  limestone  at  the  west  base.  All  the 
minor  ridges  have  a  direction  parallel  to  the  main 
ridge  dividing  the  States  and  a  like  composition ; 
the  limestones  usually  occupying  the  valleys  as 
well  as  the  sides  of  the  mountains  further  east. 
West  from  the  main  range  their  height  and  steep- 
ness diminish.  There  are  no  elevated  plains.  The 
principal  plains  border  the  valley  of  the  Hudson, 
and  are  rather  sandy,  with  an  underlay  of  clay. 
The  arrangement  of  the  hills  in  this  district  is 
such  as  to  favor  vegetation,  and  to  admit,  even 
invite,  useful  improvements  in  draining  and  irriga- 
tion. Generally  the  slopes  are  gentle,  but  steeper 
upon  the  west  than  the  opposite  side.  The  hills  are 
susceptible  of  cultivation  to  their  summits,  and  are 
not  broken  by  the  rugged  and  outcropping  rocks. 

Though  these  soils  are  by  no  means  clayey,  as 
much  alumina  is  frequently  obtained  from  them  as 
from  the  tertiary  clay.  This  is  a  good  feature  and, 
in  durable  soil,  one  upon  which  mechanical  fertili- 
zation may  be  employed  without  annual  loss. 
Without  excei)tion  they  contain  less  lime  than  is 
requisite  to  form  the  best  and  most  productive 
kinds  of  land.  The  best  materials  for  fertilizing 
them  are  lime  and  peat,  of  each  of  which  there  is 
an  abundance.  They  should  be  composted,  which 
is  the  only  way  in  which  they  can  be  usefully  em- 
ployed. Leached  or  unleached  ashes  are  a  useful 
addition  to  this  compost,  inasmuch  as  there  is  a 
deficiency  of  potash  in  the  soil  to  meet  the  de- 
mands of  the  cultivated  crops. 

The  soils  of  the  Taconic  system  are  rarely 
excessively  leachy,  but  some  are  moderately  so. 
For  a  leachy  soil  it  is  proper  to  make  a  bulky  ma- 
nure, consisting  of  burnt  clay,  ashes,  peat  or  organ- 
ic matters,  the  whole  of  which  is  only  moderately 
soluble,  but,  when  exposed  in  a  porous  soil,  it  re- 
quires the  influence  of  the  air  to  bring  it  with  suf- 
ficient rapidity  to  a  state  fit  for  the  consumption 
of  vegetables.  In  a  close  and  compact  soil, 
the  solubility  of  the  manure  may  be  greater;  for 
then  it  may  be  retained  for  the  future  use  of  plants, 
if  not  required  immediately. 

What  are  called  cold  lands  are  not  uncommon 
in  this  district.     They  lie  on  the  slopes  of  hills, 


76 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


frequently  200  or  300  feet  above  the  valleys.  This 
condition  is  produced  by  the  agency  of  many 
springs,  which  issue  from  the  hillsides,  and  saturate 
the  earth  with  water,  in  the  shape  of  small  foun- 
tains, which  percolate  through  the  soil  and  sub-soil 
on  their  way  to  the  valley  below;  but  this  evil  may 
be  cured  by  draining,  which  is  the  most  efficient 
means  of  improving  the  soils  in  this  district. 

These  soils  require  draining  more  frequently 
than  western  ones,  in  consequence  of  the  peculiar 
structure  of  the  underlying  rock,  which,  in  the 
Taconic  district,  is  invariably  placed  edgewise, 
or  at  an  angle  varying  from  15°  to  30" ;  and  the 
layers  or  strata  are  compacted  so  closely,  that 
water  seldom  or  never  finds  its  way  into  the  rock, 
and  hence  must  pass  through  the  soil ;  and  if  this 
is  not  very  porous,  the  water  passes  off  slowly,  and 
is  frequently  detained  so  long  that  the  soil  is  most 
of  the  time  saturated  with  it. 

Magnesia  is  a  common  element  in  the  soils  of 
this  district,  and  to  this  element  Prof  Emmons  at- 
tributes the  excellence  of  the  crops  of  corn,  which, 
he  says,  "is  so  much  at  home  upon  the  gentle 
slopes  of  this  system."  "  At  any  rate,"  he  adds, 
"in  no  other  district  is  this  crop  so  perfect,  so 
sound  and  rich,  as  in  Dutchess,  Columbia,  Rens- 
selaer and  Washington  counties.  Comparing  this 
crop  in  the  eastern  district  with  that  of  the  west, 
we  unhesitatingly  give  preference  to  the  former,  as 
being  more  thrifty  and  sounder  in  the  kernel,  and 
better  filled  out.  There  is  a  limit,  however,  at 
which  maize  ceases  to  ripen  in  this  district.  For 
example,  along  the  Taconic  range  between  Massa- 
chusetts and  New  York,  at  the  height  of  about 
t,ooo  feet  above  tide,  it  dwindles  to  a  short  slender* 
stalkj  and  yields  but  small  tapering  ears.  This  limit 
is  often  marked  by  a  line  of  frost  during  the  cold 
months,  to  which  it  very  frequently  descends,  form- 
ing a  distinct  icy  line  of  congealed  vapor  upon  the 
forests,  and  upon  the  trees  of  the  cultivated  fields."* 

The  Hudson  district  is  closely  related  to  the 
Eastern.  Its  slaty  or  shaly  rocks,  and  sandstone 
and  limestone  beds,  furnish,  when  mixed,  a  soil 
much  Uke  that  of  the  Eastern  district.  There  is, 
however,  more  alluvial  matter,  broader  meadows, 
and  a  less  undulating  surface.  Beneath  the  river 
bottoms  there  reposes  a  stiff  calcareous  clay ;  and 
departing  a  Uttle  from  the  river,  and  ascending  its 
sloping  bank,  we  find  sandy  plains,  which,  however, 
are  underlaid  with  the  same  stiff  clay,  a  marine  de- 
posit  of  modern  date.     No  part  of  this  district 

*In  1874,  Duchess  ranked  only  forty-ninth  in  the  average  yield  of  In- 
dian com  per  acre— 24.11— below  the  State  average,  which  was  31.33 
bushels. 


rises  into  mountains.  Steep  bluffs  are  common, 
but  rarely  exceed  300  feet  in  height.  As  an  agri- 
cultural district  it  is  important;  but  it  has  been 
longer  cultivated,  and  hence  is  more  exhausted 
than  the  Eastern  district.* 

In  the  Hudson  Valley  we  find  the  rocks  and  soil 
of  the  lower  part  of  the  New  York  system,  together 
with  a  few  granite,  gneissoid,  and  hornblendic 
boulders,  but  these  constitute  only  a  small  propor- 
tion of  the  matters  composing  the  soil.  From  the 
east  rise  of  the  valley  west  to  the  river,  the  bould- 
ers and  soil  are  derived  from  the  Champlain  group. 
The  soils  in  the  valley  differ  in  many  respects  from 
those  of  the  Taconic  slate  district.  The  slates 
or  shales  are  more  decomposable,  more  calcareous, 
and  the  beds  of  limestone  are  more  extensive. 
Hence  we  expect  the  soil  contains  more  lime,  and 
is,  in  general,  more  favorable  for  agriculture.  The 
rocks,  too,  are  less  disturbed.  This  district  con- 
tains a  distinct  formation  of  clay  and  sand,  which 
imparts  a  pecuUar  character  to  it,  approximating 
those  of  the  west  wheat  district.  This  formation 
gives  a  degree  of  stability  to  the  soil  which  is  not 
possessed  by  the  soils  of  the  Taconic  district. 
But  the  principal  difference  between  the  soils  of 
this  and  the  adjacent  districts,  consists  in  the  fine- 
ness of  the  former.  The  Taconic  slates  furnish 
no  small  amount  of  the  debris  or  soil;  and  the 
Northern  Highlands  furnish  their  materials,  though 
less  plentifully.  The  extensive  beds  of  clay  with 
their  accompanying  sands,  which  form  one  of  the 
most  important  features  of  the  district,  are  formed 
from  the  detritus  of  the  rocks  of  the  Primary  and 
Champlain  divisions,  the  Hudson  River  slates  and 
shales,  decomposing  and  forming  clay. 

Argillaceous  soils  are  improved  by  paring  and 
burning,  the  latter  process  converting  their  astrin- 
gent salts  of  iron  to  the  peroxide.  By  ignition,  the 
close  texture  ofthe  clay  becomes  open  and  pervious; 
some  of  the  materials  composing  it  become  more 
soluble;  the  color  of  the  clay,  which,  by  this  pro- 
cess becomes  red,  absorbs  more  heat;  and  we  may 
reasonably  conclude  that  clays  thus  treated  become 
better  absorbers  of  the  nutritive  gases,  as  ammonia 
and  carbonic  acid. 

Wheat  t  was  once  the  great  staple  of  production 

*  "Duchess,"  says  Spafford,  "took  an  early  lead  in  the  introduc- 
tion of  gypsum  as  a  manure,  with  the  most  decided  advantage."  The 
committee  appointed  to  confer  with  the  State  Board  of  Equalization  in 
1880,  stated,  by  way  of  argument,  "  that  the  county  had  been  drawn  away 
upon  the  farmers'  hay  wagons." 

t  In  l8js,  Duchess  county  sent  more  than  one-third  of  all  thograin 
shipped  to  New  York  city  from  the  several  counties  ofthe  State.  Her 
contribution  was  838,043  bushels,  while  the  aggregate  quantity  was 
2,3°9i307  bushels.  {.Gordon's  Gazetteer  a/ New  York.)  During  the 
year  ending  June  i,  1840,  there  were  ^,so^,^<^X  bushels  of  grain  raised 
in  the  county,  ( r/ie  Sunday  Courier,  of  Poughkeepsie,  August  3,  1871 ;) 
and  in  1874,  1,513,007  bushels.    (0»««  1875,) 


AGRICULTURAL  PRODUCTIONS— COMPARATIVE  STATISTICS. 


77 


of  the  Hudson  Valley ;  but  it  has  ceased  to  be  a 
profitable  crop,  unless  it  be  for  family  consump- 
tion, in  consequence  of  the  essential  losses  the  soil 
has  sustained  in  the  successive  croppings  to  which 
it  has  been  subjected.* 

Agriculture  is  the  leading  branch  of  industry, 
"but  the  prestige  this  county  once  had,  by  reason 
of  its  nearness  to  New  York,  has  passed  away  with 
the  improvements  in  transportation  and  the  con- 
stant drain  upon  its  fertility,  incident  to  the  kind  of 
farming  necessary  to  produce  profitable  results."! 
The  soil  is  adapted  to  a  wide  range  of  crops,  but 
there  is  not  one,  perhaps,  that  is  peculiarly  a  char- 
acteristic of  the  county ;  yet  it  ranks  high  in  the 
gross  value  of  its  farm  products.  The  gross  sales 
from  its  farms  in  1874  amounted  to  $3,178,920; 
which  was  exceeded  by  only  nine  other  counties  in 
the  State.  The  cereals,  especially  corn,  oats  and 
rye,  are  produced  abundantly;  but  wheat  and  buck- 
wheat, less  plentifully.  Tobacco  is  quite  extensive- 
ly raised.  Though  not  specifically  a  dairy  county, 
the  butter  made  is  large  in  quantity  and  excellent 
in  quality,  while  the  production  of  milk  for  the 
New  York  market  is  an  important  and  leading 
industry,  especially  in  the  eastern  portion.  For 
this  reason  hay  is  a  large  and  staple  crop.  Sheep 
raising  is  an  important  industry  in  the  eastern  por- 
tion of  the  county,  but  far  less  extensive  than  half 
a  century  ago.  Pork  is  a  staple  production.  Fruit 
of  excellent  quality  is  raised  in  large  quantities, 
and  grapes,  which  are  already  successfully  and  ex- 
tensively raised,  are  receiving  increased  attention, 
especially  in  the  Fishkills.  The  grapes  from  that 
locality,  says  an  article  in  the  New  York  Herald, 
in  1876,  have  "obtained  an  enviable  reputation  in 
New  York  City."  The  same  writer  says,  "The 
finest  grapes  of  out-door  culture  in  the  United 
States  are  probably  grown  by  Messrs.  Van  Wyck  & 
Johnson,  at  their  vineyard  back  of  Fishkill."  In 
cultivated  area  the  county  is  excelled  by  only  twelve 
counties  in  the  State ;  in  the  cash  value  of  its  farms, 
by  only  six ;  in  the  value  of  farm  buildings  other 
than  dwellings,  by  only  one  ;  in  the  value  of  stock, 
by  twelve ;  in  the  value  of  tools  and  implements, 
by  twelve ;  and  in  the  cost  of  fertilizers  used,  by 
eight. 

The  manufactories  of  the  county,  though  not  very 
numerous,  are  some  of  them  quite  extensive  and 
valuable;  but  the  disparity  between  agricultural 
and  mechanical  pursuits  is  increasing  to  the  detri- 

*  Natural  History  of  New  York,  Part  V.,  Agriculture,  by  E.  Em- 
mons, 6,  7,  213,  i4J,  ^ii-2S(>,  263,  326,  327- 

t  Report  of  Committee  to  Confer  with  State  Board  of  Equalization, 
Dec.  4,  1880. 


ment  of  the  latter.  From  1870  to  1875  the  num- 
ber of  manufacturing  establishments  in  the  county 
decreased  from  602  to  499  ;*  nevertheless  we  may 
fairly  question  if  their  value  has  materially  de- 
creased, though  we  have  not  the  data  at  hand  to 
determine  this.  In  1836,  the  county  ranked 
second  in  its  manufactories,  being  surpassed  only 
by  Oneida  County.f  In  1832,  it  ranked  third  in 
the  State  in  the  number  of  cotton  mills,  having 
twelve,  while  Oneida  had  twenty  and  Rensselaer, 
fifteen ;  third,  also,  in  the  amount  of  capital  in- 
vested— $445,000  ;  second  in  the  number  of  spin- 
dles in  use — 17,690  ;  third  in  the  number  of  pounds 
of  cotton  annually  manufactured — 833,000  ;  fourth 
in  the  value  of  cloth  produced — $1,952,000 ;  fourth 
in  the  number  of  pounds  of  yarn  sold — 185,500; 
second  in  the  value  of  yarn  and  cloth  produced  — 
$333,500;  and  second  in  the  number  of  persons 
sustained  by  said  establishments — 1,974.  It  was 
in  the  front  rank  in  the  number  of  manufactories 
6 — (Orange  County  having  the  same  number.) 
The  only  three  from  which  reports  were  received 
employed  a  capital  of  $186,000,  (while  the  six  in 
Orange  County  employed  only  $192,762  ;)  and  197 
operatives,  (a  number  exceeded  only  by  Rensselaer, 
which  reported  five  factories ;)  paid  wages  amount- 
ing to  $42,179,  (exceeding  all  others;)  used  156,- 
000  pounds  of  wool,  (exceeding  all  others;)  and 
manufactured  goods  to  the  value  of  $196,250, 
(exceeding  all  others.)  It  had  three  cupola  and 
air  furnaces,  making  855  tons  of  pig  iron.  Eleven 
counties  excelled  it  and  three  equaled  it  in  num- 
ber, while  only  four  excelled  it  in  production.  It 
had,  also,  one  blast  furnace,  making  836  tons  of 
pig  iron  and  5  tons  of  castings.  Six  counties  ex- 
celled it  in  number,  but  none  in  quantity,  if  we 
except  Orange,  which  included  also  the  blast  fur- 
nace at  Cold  Spring,  Putnam  County.  It  employed 
in  these  iron  industries  295  persons,  who  had  967 
dependents.^  In  1880,  the  county  produced  61,- 
637  tons  (of  2,000  pounds  each)  of  all  kinds  of 
pig  iron,§ 

In  1880,  the  assessed  valuation  of  real  estate 
was  $36,045,422 ;  assessed  valuation  of  personal 
property,  $6,217,232;  the  indebtedness  of  the 
county  for  which  bonds  had  been  issued,  $277,- 
000;  total  indebtedness  of  county  and  city,  ex- 
clusive of  school  districts,  $2,345,947.70.  || 

*  Censits  of  187s. 

+  Gordon^ s  Gazetteer  of  the  State  of  New  York.,  425. 

Xlhid,  336,  337- 

§  Letter  of  James  M.  Swank,  Philadelphia,  Secretary  American  Iron 
and  Steel  Association,  and  Special  Census  Agent  to  Collect  Iron  and  Steel 
Statistics. 

II  Census  of  1880. 


78 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Geology  — Underlying     Rocks    of     Duchess 
County — Rocks  of  the  Champlain  Division 

Rocks  of  the  Hudson  River  Group — Grit 

AND  Slate  Rocks— Utica  Slate  Group- 
Trenton  Limestone  Group — Black  River 
Limestone — Calciferous  Group — Barnegat 
Limestone — Roofing  Slate — The  Taconic 
System  —  Metamorphic  Rocks  —  Dolomitic 
AND  Granular  Limestone — Duchess  County 
Marble  —  The  "Stone  Church"  —  Stea- 
tite—Iron Ore  Abundant  and  of  Good 
Quality  —  Galena — Copper — Silver  —  Gold 
— Primary  Rocks — Granite — Hornblende — 
SiENiTE — Gneiss — Mica  Slate — Augite  Rock 
— Greenstone — Alluvial  Deposits — Shell 
Marl — Peat — Sink  Holes— "Spook  Hole" 
— Clay  Balls  and  Calcareous  Concretions — 
Mineral  Springs — Gas  Springs — Subterra- 
nean Streams — Inflammable  Gas — Sulphate 
of  Iron — Bog  Ore  —  Manufacturers  of 
Bricks — Topographical  Changes— Drift  De- 
posits—Smoothed AND  Scratched  Surfaces 
of  Rocks — What  They  Indicate. 

THE  underlying  rocks  of  Duchess  county  are 
classed  in  the  Geological  Reports  as  the 
metamorphic  rocks  of  the  Primary  system  and  the 
Champlain  division  of  the  New  York  system.  The 
former  occupy  a  narrow  belt  along  the  east  border 
of  the  county ;  the  latter  extend  thence  west  to  the 
Hudson  River  and  beyond  it.  Rocks  similar  in 
character  to  the  Shawangunk  grit,  and  the  inter- 
stratified  and  overlying  red  rocks,  range  north 
through  the  county  from  Fishkill,  near  Matteawan  ; 
and  Prof  Rodgers,  though  doubtful  about  the  geo- 
logical age  of  this  formation,  inchnes  to  the  opinion 
that  it  is  equivalent  to  the  new  red  sandstones, 
which  are  associated  with  trappean  rocks  in  this 
State  ;  though  Prof  Mather,  assuming  their  identi- 
ty with  the  rocks  they  resemble,  infers  for  them  a 
greater  age.  These  red  grit  rocks,  like  those  they 
resemble  to  the  south,  are  in  a  highly  inclined  po- 
sition, often  vertical ;  and  were  observed  in  hun- 
dreds of  localities  in  this  county  and  those  north 
of  it  to  Vermont. 

The  rocks  of  the  Champlain  division  consist  of  a 
series  of  slates,  shales,  grits,  Hmestones  and  siliceous 
and  calcareous  breccias  and  conglomerates.  Some 
plutonic  rocks  which  have  been  intruded  among 
them  have  modified  their  aspect  in  many  places, 
and  formed  metamorphic  rocks.  Along  their  east- 
ern line  of  outcrop  these  strata  have  been  much 


deranged  in  position  since  their  deposition,  having 
been  broken  up  and  tilted  at  various  angles,  bent, 
wrinkled  and  contorted  in  almost  every  conceiva- 
ble manner,  and  elevated  into  hills  and  mountain 
chains. 

The  rocks  of  the  Hudson  River  group  occupy  a 
large  part  of  Duchess  county.  They  are  mostly 
slates,  shales,  and  grey,  slaty  and  thick-bedded 
grits.  The  slates  and  shales  are  generally  dark- 
brown,  blue  and  black  ;  the  grits  are  grey,  greenish 
and  bluish-grey.  They  are  stratified  and  conform- 
able, alternating  a  great  number  of  times  without 
regularity.  Prof.  Mather,  from  insufficient  data, 
said  they  contained  few  fossils  except  fucoids,  and 
such,  until  recently,  has  been  supposed  to  be  the 
fact.  But  investigations  made  by  Mr.  T.  N.  Dale, 
Jr.,  in  the  spring  of  1878,  and  subsequently  by 
Prof.  J.  D.  Dana,  Mr.  R.  P.  Whitfield,  Curator  of 
Geology  in  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  His- 
tory, New  York  city,  and  Prof.  W.  B.  Dwight,  of 
Vassar  College,  has  shown  them  to  be  highly  fos- 
sihferous,  and  resulted  in  "  the  determination  by 
paleontological  evidence  of  the  Hudson  River 
group  in  the  slates,  and  the  calciferous  chazy  and 
Trenton  groups  among  the  limestones.  These  re- 
sults substantially  confirm  in  general  the  views  of 
Mather,  and  the  earlier  views  of  Prof  Hall,  as  to 
the  horizon  of  these  rocks,  though  the  particular 
distribution  and  relative  positions  of  these  various 
formations  when  fully  explored  and  mapped  out, 
will  be  found  to  differ  considerably  from  any  pre- 
vious conceptions."* 

The  rocks  of  the  Hudson  River  group,  and  of 
nearly  all  the  Champlain  division,  are  remarkably 
well  developed  in  this  county.  They  are  well,  ex- 
posed to  view,  and  capable  of  rigid  examination 
and  identification  on  the  rocky  shore  of  the  Hud- 
son from  the  mouth  of  Ancram  creek  to  Red  Hook; 
the  rocky  islands  below  Red  Hook  Landing ;  and 
from  Red  Hook  Landing  to  Barnegat  (now  Clinton) 
Point.  They  range  through  the  towns  of  Red 
Hook,  Milan,  Rhinebeck,  Clinton,  Hyde  Park, 
Pleasant  Valley,  Poughkeepsie,  La  Grange  and 
Wappinger.  The  grits,  shales  and  slates,  which 
are  mostly  composed  of  fragments  of  the  lower 
rocks  of  the  Champlain  division,  are  interstratified, 
alternating  a  number  of  times.  Most  of  the  grits 
are  calciferous  and  effervesce  slightly  with  a  strong 
acid  when  taken  from  a  sound  rock  that  has  not 
been  exposed  to  weathering.  The  coarse  greenish 
grit  that  occupies  so  prominent  a  place  in  Rens- 

*  The  results  of  some  Recent  PaleontologicaZ  Ixacstigations  in  the 
Vicinity  of  Poughkeepsie,  by  Prof.  W.  B.  Dwight,  read  before  the 
Poughkeepsie  Society  of  Natural  Sdence,  April  21, 1880. 


ROCKS  OF  THE  HUDSON  RIVER  GROUP. 


79 


selaer  county  becomes  finer  farther  south  and  forms 
a  mountain  mass  extending  through  the  five  towns 
first  naniied.  Veins  of  quartz  abound  in  this  rock, 
which  has  an  aspect  almost  trappean ;  also,  more 
or  less  abundantly,  in  all  the  rocks  of  this  group ; 
but  more  frequently  it  is  only  the  proper  joinis  that 
are  filled  with  quartz  and  calcareous  spar.  Rocks 
that  have  formerly  been  called  greywacke,  varying 
in  texture  from  an  argillaceous  slate  to  a  sand- 
stone, succeed  the  Umestone  of  the  Fishkill  valley 
about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  from  the  village  of 
Fishkill,  on  the  old  post-road  from  New  York  to 
Albany.  The  dip  is  generally  east-south-east  from 
ten  to  fifteen  degrees,  but  at  Wappinger  Creek  it 
is  nearly  vertical.  Some  quarries  of  the  grit  rock, 
which  is  easily  quarried  into  rhombic  blocks  and 
fragments,  have  been  opened  along  the  road  for 
wall  stone. 

The  grit  and  slate  rocks  of  this  group  are  seen 
abundantly  in  places  three  miles  south  of  Pough- 
keepsie,  on  the  post-road,  and  continue  to  be  seen 
at  intervals,  emerging  in  ridges  and  hillocks  through 
the  quarternary  formation,  in  Hyde  Park,  Rhine- 
beck  and  Red  Hook.  They  are  frequently  inter- 
stratified  with  shales  and  sometimes  with  lime- 
stone and  other  rocks. 

The  strata  dip  at  various  angles  from  eight  to 
ninety  degrees,'' generally  to   the   east-south-east, 
but  in  some  places  to  the  north-east,  and  even  to 
the   north.     The  latter  are   local  variations,  due 
in  most  if  not  all  cases,  to  derangements  of  the 
strata  along  the  transverse  axes  of  disturbance. 
An  exposure  of  these  rocks  between  Lower  Red 
Hook  village  and  the  landing,  three-fourths  of  a 
mile,  and  again  one  mile  from  the  village,  showed 
well  characterized  drift  scratches,  the  surface  being 
otherwise  smoothed  off  as  if  ground  down  by  attri- 
tion.    In  these,  as  well  as  many  other  locaUties  in 
this  vicinity,  the  dip  was  eastwardly  at  a  high  angle. 
Singular  contortions  of  these  rocks  may  be  seen  on 
the  shore  a  few  rods  below  the  landing.  ,  The  rocks 
are  bent  and  folded  and  packed  together  in  such  a 
way  as  cannot  be  easily  described  or  represented. 
The  strata  are  nearly  vertical,  and  bent  into  regular 
and  irregular  curves  and  folds.     The  grit  rocks,  in 
stratafrora  six  to  twelve  inches  in  thickness,  are  in- 
terstratified  with  slaty  grits  and  slate.     A  hundred 
yards  below  the  Lower  Red  Hook  landing,   the 
grit  rock  is  seen  nearly  vertical,  immediately  over- 
laid by  nearly  horizontal  slate.     The  strata  are 
very  beautifully  exposed  to  view  between  Red  Hook 
and  Rhinebeck  landings  on  the  shore  of  the  Hud- 
son and  the  small  rocky  islands  near  it.     Smoothed 


and  scratched  surfaces  may  be  seen  where  the  over- 
ling clay  has  recently  been  removed  from  the 
rock.  One  locality  was  observed  about  two  miles 
south  of  Red  Hook  landing,  where  two  distinct 
sets  of  scratches  were  engraved  on  the  rock,  with 
directions  of  south  ten  degrees  west  and  south 
twenty  degrees  west.  The  smoothed  or  scratched 
grit  or  greywacke  was  seen  between  Rhinebeck 
landing  and  village,  west  of  the  ridge  of  naked  grit 
rock  that  paves  the  road  west  of  the  creek ;  also  at 
several  places  on  the  Rhinebeck  and  Pine  Plains 
turnpike;  and  two  and  three-fourths  miles  from 
Lower  Red  Hook  village,  on  the  road  to  Long 
Pond.  A  quarry  of  flagging  and  building  stone 
has  been  opened  about  half  a  mile  east  of  the  lat- 
ter village  in  the  slaty  grits  of  this  group.  The 
stone  is  easily  quarried  in  slabs  of  five  to  fifty  feet 
square  and  three  to  eight  inches  thick. 

A  broken  rocky  ridge  of  grit  and  slaty  grit,  in- 
terstratified  with  slate,  extends  from  near  Rhine- 
beck, by  Hyde  Park,  to  near  Poughkeepsie,  and  is 
exposed  in  many  places  along  the  east  side  of  the 
old  post-road.  The  dip  of  the  rock  is  eastwardly, 
generally  east-south-east,  at  very  variable  angles 
from  forty  to  ninety  degrees.  At  Lewisville,  .oppo- 
site Lewis'  landing,  the  strata  are  vertical. 

The  smoothed  and  scratched  greywacke  and 
grit  was  observed  on  the  ridges  of  Hyde  Park;  and 
about  half  a  mile  east  of  the  post  road  opposite  to 
half  a  mile  north  of  De  Graffs  tavern,  the  grooves 
and  scratches,  which  were  perfectly  similar  in  size, 
depth  and  direction,  were  interrupted  by  shps  or 
slight  faults  of  the  rock  of  more  recent  origin. 
Prof.  Cassels  observed  them  in  several  places  in 
that  vicinity. 

Flagging  stones  have  been  quarried  from  the 
slaty  grits  in  Hyde  Park.  The  rocks  are  well  ex- 
posed between  Hyde  Park  village  and  landing, 
and  along  the  shore  from  the  landing  for  some 
^distance  north.  The  grit,  composed  of  distinct 
particles  of  slate  in  addition  to  the  usual  materials, 
is  interstratified  with  a  fissile  slate,  almost  like 
roofing  slate,  on  this  shore  a  little  above  the  land- 
ing. The  long  narrow  island  and  several  smaller 
ones  between  Hyde  Park  and  Lewis'  landing 
offer  fine  exposures  of  the  grits  and  slaty  grits. 
Below  Barrytown  are  two  long,  narrow,  rocky 
islands  called  Magdalen,  on  which  the  strata  are 
well  exposed  to  view,  dipping  as  usual  to  the  east, 
south-east,  or  more  nearly  east  at  high  angles. 
About  a  mile  below  Rhinebeck  landing,  thick 
layers  of  grit  are  interstratified  with  slate,  and 
contorted.     A  few  rods  above  this  locahty  nodules 


8o 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


of  argillaceous  iron  ore  were  observed  embedded 
in  the  slate. 

The  fossils  discovered  by  Mr.  Dale  in  the  Hud- 
son River  slates  in  Marlborough  Mountain,  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Hudson,  opposite  of  Poughkeep- 
sie,  were  identified  by  Prof.  Hall,  State  Geologist, 
as  the  brachiopods,  Orthis  testudinaria,  Leptarna 
sericea,  Orthis  pectinella,  Stophomena  alternata 
the  gasteropod,  Bellerophon  bilobatus,  and  the 
fucoid,  Buthotrephis  subnodosa.  "  These  fossils," 
says  Prof.  Dwight,  "  are  all  common  both  to  the 
Trenton  and  the  Hudson  River  groups,  except  the 
Orthis  pectinella,  which  has  hitherto  been  unknown 
in  the  Hudson  River  shale.  They  therefore  defi- 
nitely fix  the  age  of  these  slates  as  belonging  to 
some  member  of  the  Trenton  period  and,  under 
all  the  circumstances,  are  generally  accepted  as 
indicating  the  highest  strata  in  that  period,  the 
Hudson  River  group.". 

The  rocks  of  the  Utica  Slate  group,  which  Prof. 
Mather  classifies  as  a  member  of  the  Champlain 
division,  consist  of  dark-colored  argillaceous  slates 
of  several  varieties,  which  may  generally  be  dis- 
tinguished by  their  color,  and  form  a  large  propor- 
tion of  the  slate  of  the  Hudson  Valley.  They 
range  from  Vermont  to  New  Jersey,  and  are  well 
exhibited  to  view  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  at 
Fishkill  landing  and  at  Poughkeepsie. 

The  slate  of  this  group  is  highly  carbonaceous 
and  contains  thin  seams  and  fragments  of  anthra- 
cite. This  has  led  to  the  delusive  hope  that  coal 
in  greater  quantity  exists  in  its  locality,  and  some 
places  where  excavations  for  coal  have  been  made 
are  very  apt  to  deceive  those  who  are  not  profes- 
sional geologists  and  mineralogists.  Small  layers 
and  lumps  of  anthracite  are  actually  seen,  and  the 
fragments  of  rock  present  an  appearance  some- 
what similar  to  the  carbonaceous  matter  near  the 
outcropping  edges  of  beds  of  anthracite.  In  some 
localities  vegetable  remains  are  found.  Near 
Poughkeepsie  a  well  was  bored  to  a  depth  of  two 
hundred  feet  in  search  of  coal ;  and  in  its  vicinity 
ten  or  twelve  excavations  have  been  made  and 
$5,000  to  $6,000  expended,  in  this  object.  A 
large  piece  of  anthracite  is  said  to  have  been 
found  at  the  mouth  of  Wappinger  Creek  nearly 
ninety  years  ago.  On  the  Annan  farm  in  Fishkill 
an  excavation  was  made  in  black  slate  glazed  with 
anthracite  in  expectation  that  coal  would  be  found. 
The  locality  is  at  the  base  of  the  Highlands,  near 
the  junction  of  the  granite  and  slate  rocks,  and 
has,  says  Prof.  Mather,  in  his  report  of  1843, 
"  been  called  the  coal  mine  for  a  century."     It  is 


he  adds,  more  likely  to  deceive  those  not  familiar 
with  coal  regions  than  any  he  had  seen,    except 
those  at  Hudson  and  Rider's   mill   in   Chatham. 
Even  as  late  as  1878,  and  probably  to  this   day, 
the  hope  of  finding  coal  in  these  slates  was  strongly 
entertained.     A  specimen  of  coal  dug  that  year  on 
the   farm   of  Michael   Herman,  a   short  djstance 
from  Pleasant  Valley,  about  sixteen  feet  below  the 
surface,   was    supposed    to    indicate   a    valuable 
deposit  of  that  combustible.     Subsequent  exami- 
nation, during  the  same  summer,  led  to  the  dis- 
covery of  a  "three-feet  vein  of  anthracite  coal,"  at 
a   depth  of  twenty-four  feet,  and  evoked  from  a 
local  journal  the  asseveration,  "that  there  is  coal 
in  Duchess  county  in  quantities  to  pay  for  mining 
is  a  settled  fact."*    Toward  the  close  of  the  late 
war  the  search  for  petroleum  was   prosecuted  in 
Fishkill  with  considerable,  energy.     The  Hudson 
River  Petroleum    Company,    composed  of  "the 
most  prominent,  wealthy  and  enterprising  men  of 
that  vicinity,"  was  formed  with  a  capital  of  $600,- 
000,  and  pipes  drove  at  Glenham  to  a  depth  of  150 
feet  when  a  section,  having  been  driven  through 
several  boulders,  was  crushed,  and  operations  dis- 
continued.    Another  well   was  started   near  the 
base  of  the  mountains.f 

About  three  and  one-fourth  miles  north-west  of 
Lower  Red  Hook  on  the  road  near  the^Nathan 
Beckwith  farm,  is  a  ridge  of  black  sihceous  slate, 
in  some  of  the  loose  masses  of  which  copper 
pyrites  was  rather  abundantly  disseminated.  The 
same  kind  of  rock  was  seen  in  place  on  the  next 
swell  of  land  to  the  west,  and  in  several  places 
between  Lower  Red  Hook  and  Clermont. 

The  rocks  of  the  Trenton  Limestone  group  are 
limestones  and  shales  alternating  with  each  other. 
Some  of  the  strata  abound  in  fossils  which  are 
peculiar  in  character  and  distinguish  the  group 
from  others  higher  in  the  geological  series.  The 
group  thins  out  from  west  to  east  or  is  mostly 
replaced  by  the  associated  slates.  The  limestone 
is  generally  dark  colored,  compact  or  sub-crystalline, 
sometimes  slaty,  at  times  it  occurs  in  strata  two 
to  four  feet  thick,  separated  by  thin  layers  of  black 
slate.  Some  of  the  strata  are  replete  with  fossil 
remains;  others  are  nearly  destitute  of  them. 
Some  of  the  thick  strata  are  easily  sawed  and  pol- 
ished, and  make  a  beautiful  black  marble,  others 
contain  hornstone  and  chert  in  small  nodules  or 
irregular  masses,  that   render  it  useless  for   such 


*  The  Pmghktetsii  Weekly  Eagle,  May  4th,  1878,  and  July  2a, 
1878.— rfe  Rhinebeck  Gazette,  1878. 

t  The  Fishkill  Standard,  1864.  The  Poughkeepsie  Eagle,  Dec.  23. 
1864 ;  June  16,  1865  ;  and  August  S,  1855. 


BLACK  RIVER  LIMESTONE— CALCIFEROUS  ROCKS. 


8i 


purposes.  The  rocks  of  the  group  occur  on  the 
banks  of  the  Hudson,  about  one  and  one-fourth  to 
one  and  one-half  miles  above  Clinton  Point.  They 
are  slate  or  slaty  altered  limestones,  that  would 
not  be  recognized  as  limestone  without  flose  exami- 
nation. The  strata  dip  at  a  high  angle  to  the  east, 
like  all  the  rocks  in  the  vicinity.  Among  the  fos- 
sils of  this  group  are  the  Isotelus  gigas,  Calymene 
senaria,  Cryptolithus  tessellatus,  Favosites  lyco- 
podites  and  several  other  species,  several  species  of 
Crinoidea,  Orthocera  striatum,  Orthocera  duplex 
(  C,)  Trocholites  ammonius  (  C,)  and  several  other 
species,  Bellerophon  apertus,  Strophomena  alter- 
naia,  S.  semiovalis,  S.  deltoidea,  Delthyris  microp- 
tera,  Atrypa  glabella,  Orthis  testudinaria. 

The  Black  River  Limestone  is  more  extensively 
developed  in  the  district  than  the  Trenton  Lime- 
stone. It  is  found  not  only  in  continuous  strata, 
but  in  numerous  limited  patches.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  durable  and  valuable  stones  for  buildings, 
locks,  bridges  and  aqueducts,  and  is  easily  quarried 
and  dressed.  The  limestone  beds  in  Milan  which 
are  supposed  to  belong  to  this  group,  form  a  sur- 
face mass  one  htmdred  to  two  hundred  yards  in 
width,  which  is  crossed  by  the  Pine  Plains  and 
Rhinebeck  turnpike,  one  and  three-fourths  miles 
west  of  LaFayette  Corners.  It  is  compact,  fine- 
grained, sub-crystalline,  and  much  is  more  or  less 
"  sparry,"  in  consequence  of  its  being  traversed  by 
veins.  A  similar  limestone  is  found  in  the  eastern 
part  of  Red  Hook  and  in  Clinton,  ranging  through 
the  western  part  of  Milan.  The  limestone  near 
Lithgow  on  the  road  from  Poughkeepsie  and  Amenia 
is  another  example.  Another  similar  limestone, 
but  blacker,  occurs  on  the  same  road  about  a  mile 
from  Washington  Hollow.  The  limestones  near 
Fishkill,  Matteawan,  Sprout  Creek,  Poughquaick, 
etc.,  are  further  examples.  These  limestones  in 
FishkiH,  Beekman,  Pleasant  Valley  and  Washing- 
ton are  more  or  less  altered  by  metamorphic  action. 
Conglomerate  limestone,  some  blocks  of  which 
were  nearly  black,  intersected  by  white  and  yellow 
veins,  was  observed  in  Clinton,  and  brecciated 
limestone  in  the  eastern  part  of  Rhinebeck. 
Numerous  other  localities  of  conglomerate  and 
brecciated  limestone  were  observed. 

The  Calciferous  group  of  rocks  is  intermediate  in 
composition,  as  it  is  in  age,  between  the  Trenton 
and  Black  River  (or  Mohawk,)  limestones  and 
the  Potsdam  sandstone.  The  rocks  are  cal- 
careo-siliceous,  and  sometimes  one  and  some- 
times the  other  predominates  and  gives  character 
to    them.      The   water-lined  laminge   of   deposi- 


tion are  very  conspicuous  in  some  of  the 
strata  of  calciferous  sandstone.  The  rocks  of  this 
group  occupy  a  long  narrow  belt,  extending  from 
Clinton  Point  through  Poughkeepsie,  Pleasant  Val- 
ley, Stanford  and  Pine  Plains.  The  first  continu- 
ous range  of  this  Umestone  of  much  magnitude  in 
the  district  is  seen  at  Bamegat,  where  it  crosses  the 
Hudson,  and  from  this  fact  it  received  the  dis- 
tinctive name  of  Bamegat  Limestone.  Wappin- 
ger  Creek  forms  its  eastern  boundary  at  Attlebury. 
It  crosses  the  valley  of  Pine  Plains  under  the  great 
peat  and  marl  marsh  and  Stissing  Pond.  It  varies 
in  its  character  from  a  sandy,  granular,  sub-crystal- 
line texture,  to  a  perfect  compact  limestone,  with 
a  conchoidal  fracture.  It  is  usually  gray,  granular 
and  sub-crystalline,  with  grains  of  sand  and  minute 
quartz  crystals  disseminated.  Small  cavities  lined 
with  quartz  crystals  are  common.  It  is  sometimes 
distinctly  stratified,  and  even  slaty  near  its  junc- 
tion with  the  slate  rocks,  but  frequently  its  beds  are 
so  thick,  and  the  masses  of  the  ledges  so  broken 
that  scarcely  any  traces  of  stratification  are  visible. 
It  was  formerly  important  in  consequence  of  its 
extensive  application  to  the  manufacture  of  lime, 
at  and  near  Bamegat,  where  six,  ten  and  even 
twenty*  kilns  are  said  to  have  been  in  operation.  In 
1843,  there  were  six  kilns  which  were  kept  constantly 
burning  during  the  period  of  river  navigation,  and 
produced  720,000  bushels  per  annum.  There  were 
numerous  other  kilns  in  the  county  the  aggregate 
annual  product  of  which  was  then  estimated  to  be 
1,500,000  bushels.  This  lime  was  shipped  mostly 
to  New  Jersey  and  applied  to  the  sandy  soils  of 
that  State  proved  a  valuable  fertilizer.  The  busi- 
ness in  this  county  has  declined,  and  for  the  last 
six  years  no  lime  has  been  burned  at  Barnegat. 

These  rocks,  in  which  Prof.  Mather  says  he  was 
unable  to  detect  a  trace  of  fossil  remains,  and  that 
Prof.  Briggs  discovered  faint  traces  of  shells,  but 
too  imperfect  for  determination,  the  more  recent 
and  careful  investigation  by  Professors  Dana  and 
Dwight  proved  to  be  highly  fossiUferous ;  and 
among  the  specimen  fossils  '•  were  a  number  in  a 
state  of  preservation  sufficiently  distinct  to  fix  in- 
contestably  the  age  of  the  rock  as  that  of  the  Tren- 
ton epoch."  In  the  spring  of  1879,  Professors 
Dana  and  Dwight  visited  the  little  quarry  on  the 
creek  half  a  mile  south-east  of  Pleasant  Valley, 
where,  nearly  forty  years  before,  the  labors  of  Prof 
Briggs  had  been  rewarded  with  such  meager  results, 
and  found  the  following  fossils:  Cyathophylloid 
corals,  and  several  species  of  Crinoids,  the  latter 

*  Gordon's  Gazetteer  of  the  State  of  New  Yerlt,  (1836)  433. 


82 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


in  abundance;  Orthis  testudinaria,  Orthis  tricen- 
aria,  Orthis  jmiceum,  and  what  were  apparently 
fragments  of  Trilobites  and  also  of  the  Brachiopod, 
Strophomena  alternata.  There  were  also  masses 
of  rock  filled,  apparently,  with  small  rounded 
pebbles,  which,  on  subsequent  slicing,  proved  to  be 
a  Chcetetes  coral  of  remarkably  minute  structure. 
At  Rochdale,  on  the  premises  of  Mr.  Henry  Titus, 
they  found  the  same  fossils  as  at  Pleasant  Valley^ 
and  in  addition  a  great  many  specimens  of  a  very 
singular  and  doubtless  new  fossil  which  appears  to 
resemble  most  closely  those  organisms  so  httle  un- 
derstood, which  are  called  receptaculites.  During 
several  visits  to  the  latter  place  that  summer. 
Prof.  Dwight  found  abundant  specimens  of  Stro- 
phomena alternata,  Orthis  pectinella,  one  En- 
doceras  twenty  to  twenty-five  centimeters  in  length, 
one  Escharapora  recta,  one  Ptilodictya  acuta,  a 
pygidium  of  a  Calymene  Trilobite,  and  several  speci- 
mens which  were  probably  Petriaia  corniculutn, 
besides  additional  individuals  of  fossils  previously 
mentioned.  He  also  found  that  the  fine  Chatetes 
mentioned  existed  in  profusion  in  the  rock.  At 
Manchester  he  found  a  large  slab  covered  with  a 
beautiful  fucoid,  probably  Buthothrepis  gracilis. 
At  Wallace's  quarry,  one  and  one-fourth  miles  be- 
low Salt  Point,  and  in  several  cuts  on  the  railroad 
between  that  place  and  Pleasant  Valley,  he  found 
an  entirely  new  set  of  fossils,  and  in  a  rock  of  quite 
different  appearance  from  that  at  Rochdale  and 
Pleasant  Valley,  there  were  great  numbers  of 
univalve  discoidel  shells  sometimes  intermixed  with 
fucoids.  There  were  also  small  Orthocerata,  but 
an  entire  lack  of  the  various  species  found  at  the 
other  localities. 

The  fine  Chcetefes  compacta,  and  the  large 
crinoid  Cleiocrinus  magnificus,  the  latter  of  which 
was  found  by  Prof.  Dwight  near  Newburgh,  were 
never  before  found  in  the  State  nor  south  >  of 
Canada. 

Roofing  slate*  is  an  altered  rock,  intermediate  in 
character,  hke  its  associates,  between  the  rocks 
described  under  the  Champlain  division  and  those 
to  be  describedunder  the  "  Taconic  "  system.  The 
rock  and  its  associates,  which  are  similar  to  those 
already  described  under  the  Champlain  division, 
are  penetrated  by  quartz  veins  in  great  numbers, 
and  by  interlaminations  of  quartz.  It  ranges  from 
Vermont  through  Washington,  Rensselaer,  Colum- 

*Roofing  slate  has  been  quarried  in  various  places  in  the  county ;  and 
at  least  two  companies  have  been  formed  for  that  purpose :  the  New 
Tfork  Slate  Co.,  incorporated  March  2jd,  iSlo,  to  continue  fifteen  years  ; 
and  the  Duchess  Co.  Slate  Co.,  incorporated  June  8,  iSu,  to  continue 
twenty-one  years.  The  operations  of  the  latter  company  were  to  be  con- 
fined to  North  East.— J^VsMcAV  Gazetteer  of  New  York,  iSyj. 


bia.  Duchess,  Ulster  and  Orange  counties  to  New 
Jersey  and  Pennsylvania,  and  is  quarried  for  roof 
slate  in  many  places,  but  not  in  this  county. 

The  Taconic*  system  consists  of  slates,  lime- 
stones and  granular  quartz  rocks,  which  form  a 
belt  of  mountainous  and  hilly  country,  of  which  the 
eastern  and  southern  portions  of  this  coimty  form 
a  part.  The  strike  and  dip  of  the  rocks  are  in  the 
same  directions  as  those  of  the  Champlain  di- 
vision, and  apparently  overlie  them.  The  dip  is  to 
the  east,  east-south-east,  and  east-north-east,  at 
angles  varying  from  fifteen  to  ninety  degrees.  Al- 
though the  rocks  all  dip  in  the  same  general  direc- 
tion, similar  strata  at  no  great  distance  are  fre- 
quently reversed  in  their  relative  order  of  superpo- 
sition. This  is  more  frequently  observed  on  the 
opposite  sides  of  ridges,  hills  and  mountains.  The 
talcose  slates  of  this  syst^  are  not  confined  to  the 
belt  described,  but  local  patches  are  found  in  many 
places.  The  rocks  of  the  system  are  more  or  less 
distinctly  characterized  when  they  approach  to 
gneiss  and  granite  and  when  quartz  has  been  in- 
truded most  abundantly  among  them.  When  the 
exact  order  of  superposition  of  these  rocks  and  the 
primary  can  be  examined,  it  is  found  that  the  gran- 
ular quartz  either  rests  upon,  or  pitches  immedi- 
ately under,  the  gneiss  or  granite  rocks  ;  that  the 
limestones  lie  next  in  order  to  the  gneiss  or  granite, 
either  in  super  or  sub-position  and  that  the  slates 
next  follow.  The  observer  may  find  much  diffi- 
culty in  verifying  this,  as  the  rocks  are  almost  uni- 
versally much  deranged  from  the  position  in  which 
they  were  deposited.  The  connection  may  be 
traced  on  the  south-west  side  of  Mt.  Stissing  in 
Pine  Plains  and  Stanford. 

The  sandstones  of  the  Taconic  system  are  grey, 
reddish,  striped  and  white,  and  all  are  very  hard, 
tough,  indurated  quartzose.rocks.  ,  The  hmestones 
are  grey  and  black,  compact  in  some  -places  j 
crystalline,  grey,  and  sparry  or  checkered  in  others ; 
and  not  unfrequently  granular,  whitish  and  crystal- 
line. The  same  continuous  rock  has  undergone 
these  changes  at  different  localities,  in  proportion 
as  it  has  been  more  or  less  subjected  to  the  influ- 
ences that  have  modified  it.  The  slate  rock  has 
undergone  as  great  changes.  It  varies  from  argil- 
laceous   slate,    through    graphic,   plumbaginous, 

*  This  name,  given  by  Prof  Emmons  to  designate  the  rocks  forming  the 
Williamstown  Mountain,  which  are  very  peculiar  in  their  aspect,  but 
blend  in  to  the  Champlain  division  on  the  one  hand,  and  into  the  Pri- 
mary rocks  on  the  other,  is  variously  spelled;  but  we  follow  both%e  orthog- 
raphy and  classification  of  Prof  Mather ;  though  Prof  Dwight  says  the 
recently' discovered  fossils  within  this  county  "are  so  many  proofs  that 
there  is  no  Taconic  system  in  geological  history,  as  far  at  least  as  this  its 
original  and  typical  seat  in  the  Taghkanic  Mountains  is  concerned." 


SLATE  FORMATIONS. 


83 


chlorite  and  talcose  slate.  Modifications  of  the 
latter  two  are  most  common,  sometimes  mingled 
with  blue,  green,  red  and  mottled  slates.  It  is 
more  or  less  permeated  by  veins  and  branches  of 
milky  quartz,  which  often  contains  chlorite  and 
brown  spar  disseminated  in  bunches. 

A  mountain  mass  of  Taconic  rocks  ranges 
through  Ancram  to  the  east  part  of  Pine  Plains, 
the  west  part  of  North  East,  and  the  north-west 
part  of  Amenia.  The  north  part,  in  Ancram,  is 
called  Winchell  Mountain.  It  is  composed  of 
slate,  talcy  slate  and  chloritic  slates,  and  is  inter- 
sected by  numerous  veins  of  quartz.  Limestone 
ranges  along  the  base  of  the  mountain  on  both 
sides.  It  is  generally  grey  and  blue,  though  in 
some  places  at  the  east  base  it  is  white.  About 
one  and  a  half  miles  north-west  from  the  gate, 
which  is  on  the  mountain  west  of  Amenia,  the  slate 
is  chloritic,  and  is  soon  succeeded,  as  we  approach 
the  "  City  "*  by  talcose  slate.  A  short  distance 
north  of  the  "City,"  the  rocks  are  much  broken 
up,  and  are  talcy  slate  and  talcy  limestone.  Both 
rocks  contain  cubic  crystals  of  iron  pyrites.  The 
bluish  grey  and  clouded  hmestone  soon  succeeds 
on  the  west,  apparently  pitching  under  the  talcy 
slate.  In  some  places  this  limestone  was  checked 
by  veins  of  carbonate  of  lime  and  quartz.  Lime- 
stone was  seen  in  places  from  thence  to  Pine  Plains, 
except  at  a  place  where  the  road  crosses  a  small 
stream  about  half  or  three-fourths  of  a  mile  east  of 
the  Quaker  meeting-house,  and  here  slate  was  seen 
in  place.  A  mass  of  alternating  slate  and  lime- 
stone enters  the  town  of  Pine  Plains  from  Ancram. 
Some  of  the  slate  is  black  with  carbon,  (graphic 
slate,)  and  in  places  plumbaginous.  The  limestone 
is  grey  and  subgranular,  blue  and  compact,  and 
sparry. 

On  the  route  from  Amenia,  through  the  central 
and  west  parts  of  North  East  towards  Pine  Plains, 
Prof.  Merrick  observed  masses  of  talcose  slate 
firmly  adhering  to  the  hmestone,  but  in  no  case 
penetrating  it;  and  talcose  slate  a  httle  farther 
west,  dipping  so  as  apparently,  but  not  really,  to 
plunge  under  the  limestone.  This  locality  is  on 
the  Worster  Wheeler  farm,  about  one  and  a  half 
miles  south-east  of  the  village  of  North  East.  The 
limestone  is  grey,  variegated  and  granular,  and 
would  make  a  beautiful  clouded  marble.  About  a 
mile  north-west  of  Wheeler's,  well  characterized 
mica  slate  was  observed  in  the  hill  on  the  east,  and 
talco-argillaceous  slate  on  the  west  side  of  the 
road.     About  half  a  mile  farther  west  he  observed 

*  The  "  City  "  is  a  small  post  village  in  the  north-west  part  of  Amenia. 


a  ridge  of  limestone  dipping  to  the  west.  About 
one  and  a  half  miles  north-west  of  North  East  vil- 
lage near  a  small  stream,  the  talcose  slate  and 
limestone  were  observed  to  alternate  twice.  The 
actual  junction,  where  the  rocks  were  firmly 
cemented  together,  was  observed  in  one  place.  A 
similar  junction  of  the  talcose  slate  and  limestone 
was  observed  in  North  East,  where  the  road  crosses 
the  outlet  of  Indian  Pond.  A  few  rods  east  and 
south-east  of  the  Amenia  ore  bed,  the  slaty  lime- 
stone is  seen  superposed  on  the  talcy  slate.  On 
the  summit  of  the  mountain  in  North  East,  where 
the  Sharon  road  intersects  that  from  Amenia  to 
Pine  Plains,  the  rock  is  slightly  talcy.  Soon  after 
leaving  the  base  of  the  mountain,  the  limestone 
was  observed  to  be  abundant.  On  the  east  side  of 
the  mountain  it  alternates  with  the  slate,  which  is 
variable  in  character,  in  some  places  being  talcy,  in 
others  like  roof  slate.  Nearly  opposite  the  Episco- 
pal church,  a  half  mile  north  of  Lithgow,  in  Wash- 
ington, the  sparry  hmestone  was  observed  several 
rods  in  width,  dipping  to  the  east  and  ranging 
south  thirty  degrees  west.  At  the  "  City  "  the  rock 
is  talco-argillaceous  slate  ;  and  about  a  hundred 
rods  west  of  this  place  is  an  old  mine  hole,  reputed 
to  be  a  copper  mine,  but  Prof  Cassels  reported 
that  the  copper  ore,  if  any  had  been  obtained  there, 
must  have  been  in  very  small  quantity.  The  exca- 
vation is  in  the  talco-argillaceous  slate,  traversed 
by  veins  of  milky  quartz. 

Pine  Plains  is  situated  on  the  quartemary,  and  un- 
derlaid by  the  slate  rocks  ;  but  the  sparry  limestone 
forms  a  ridge  called  Mill  Hill,  a  Httle  east  of  the 
village,  and  this  is  the  prevailing  rock,  alternating, 
however,  with  slate,  for  three  to  three  and  a  half 
miles  towards  the  Salisbury  ore  bed.  It  is  suc- 
ceeded by  the  slate  of  Winchell's  Mountain,  which 
is  talco-argillaceous,  and  in  some  cases  micaceous. 
The  slate  dips  to  the  east  at  a  high  angle.  Lime- 
stone succeeds  the  slate  for  a  short  distance  a  little 
east  of  Pulver's  Corners,  and  alternates  several 
times  between  that  and  the  Salisbury  ore  bed;  but 
the  most  important  are  at  Spericer's  Corners,  and 
at  the  brook  by  the  hne  between  New  York  and 
Connecticut,  on  the  turnpike.  The  slate  of  Winch- 
ell's Mountain  is  very  fissile,  talcy,  micaceous 
and  argillaceous,  frequently  colored,  and  more  or 
less  loaded  with  plumbago.  The  limestone  about 
Pine  Plains  seems  to  divide  into  two  branches,  one 
of  which  ranges  by  the  south  end  of  Mt.  Stissing, 
(where  it  is  underlaid  by  the  Potsdam  sandstone 
resting  on  gneiss,)  down  Wappinger  Creek  to 
Barnegat ;  the  other  up  the  valley  of  Shekomeko 


84 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Creek,  through  the  west  part  of  North  East,  the 
west  part  of  Amenia,  the  east  part  of  Washington, 
by  Lithgow  and  Mabbittsville,  and  down  the  Clove, 
through  Union  Vale  and  Beeknian  into  Fishkill. 
Another  branch  ranges  from  Stanford  through 
Washington,  to  half  a  mile  south  of'Verbank  in 
Union  Vale,  to  Poughquaick  in  Beekman,  and 
thence  down  Fishkill  Creek  to  Matteawan.  In 
many  places  near  the  mica  slate  and  gneiss  of  the 
Chestnut  ridge,  (which  is  the  southern  extension  of 
Winchell's  Mountain  towards  the  Highlands,)  and 
especially  in  the  low  valleys,  the  limestone  is  altered 
to  a  grey  and  white  granular  limestone,  more  or  less 
dolomitic,  like  that  of  the  Dover  and  Oblong  valley 
east  of  Chestnut  Ridge  and  Winchell's  Mountain. 
About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south-east  of  Pulver's 
Corners  in  Pine  Plains,  on  the  east  side  of  Winch- 
ell's Mountain,  the  junction  of  the  slate  and  sparry 
limestone  was  observed.  Both  dipped  sHghtly  to 
the  west,  the  slate  being  on  the  west  side.  A 
quarry  of  talco-argillaceous  slate  containing  cubic 
cavities  in  which  crystals  of  pyrites  have  been  em- 
bedded, was  seen  on  the  east  side  of  Winchell's 
Mountain,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  north  of  Pul- 
ver's Corners.  The  rock  of  this  quarry  is  used  for 
the  lining  of  furnaces,  and  when  laid  with  the  edges 
to  the  inside  of  the  stack,  resists  the  heat  almost 
as  well  as  fire  bricks.  Prof.  Merrick  observed  a 
slaty  and  talcy  limestone  at  the  base  of  a  hill  a  lit- 
tle west  of  the  village  of  Separate,  in  Amenia. 
Talco-micaceous  slate  lies  next  on  the  east,  and 
talco-argillaceous  on  the  west,  traversed  by  veins 
of  quartz.  The  fragments  of  quartz  are  very  much 
scattered  over  the  surface.  The  talco-argillaceous 
slate  becomes  less  talcy  on  the  west,  and  forms  the 
range  of  hills  in  the  east  part  of  Stanford.  The 
rock  is  very  much  contorted.  A  few  rods  west  of 
Thompson's  pond,  he  observed  limestone  which  he 
believed  would  make  a  fine  clouded  marble,  but 
only  a  small  area  of  the  rock  was  exposed. 

The  granular  quartz  rock  at  the  south-west  end 
of  Mount  Stissing  may,  from  its  modified  character, 
be  considered  as  belonging  to  the  Taconic  rocks. 
It  is  nearly  horizontal  in  position,  reposing  on 
gneiss  at  the  base  of  Mount  Stissing,  and  is  overlaid 
by  the  Barnegat  limestone,  and  that  by  the  slate 
rocks  of  the  west  side  of  the  mountain.  It  re- 
sembles gneiss  at  a  little  distance,  but  is  a  hard, 
closed-grained  sihceous  grit  rock.  Another  mass 
of  this  rock  was  mentioned  by  Walter  Reynolds, 
of  Pine  Plains,  and  said  to  cross  the  limestone 
ridge  obliquely  a  short  distance  south-east  of  Pine 
Plains. 


The  ridge  dividing  Washington  and  Pleasant 
Valley  has  breccia  and  sparry  limestone  on  its  west 
base,  and  red  slate  a  little  further  to  the  west.  It 
ranges  so  into  La  Grange.  Talcy  slate  was  also 
observed  by  Prof.  Merrick  a  little  east  of  Verbank, 
and  he  considered  it  an  extension  of  that  observed 
in  the  south-east  corner  of  Stanford ;  also  sparry 
Umestone  a  half  mile  east  of  Mabbittsville,  and 
talcy  slate  two  and  a  half  miles  east  of  that  village. 
The  slate  in  the  ridges  passing  through  the  east 
part  of  Stanford,  the  middle  and  west  parts  of 
Washington,  and  along  the  Une  between  Union 
Vale  and  La  Grange,  is  very  much  traversed  and 
intersected  by  veins  of  quartz,  and  is  contorted. 
The  outcropping  edges  are  waving.  Extensive 
excavations  are  said  to  have  been  made  in  these 
rocks  in  the  north-east  part  of  La  Grange  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  eigli'teenth  century  in  search 
of  silver ;  and,  although  there  were  marvelous 
reports  of  the  quantities  obtained,  no  traces  of  any 
metal  were  observed  but  pyrites. 

Talcy  limestone  was  observed  in  places  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  west  of  Hopewell.  White  lime- 
stone, that  would  make  a  good  marble,  was  seen 
about  a  mile  west  of  Poughquaick.  Limestone  is 
the  most  common  rock  seen  emfrging  through  the 
-extensive  quarternary  plains  of  Fishkill,  and  in 
many  places  it  assumes  the  aspect  of  what  has  been 
habitually  called  primitive  limestone,  but  it  is  the 
same  as  that  generally  found  in  this  valley,  which 
has  been  traced  in  modified  forms  from  a  compact 
and  sandy  limestone  to  a  white  marble,  from 
Vermont  to  the  Highlands.  About  a  mile  and  a 
half  above  Matteawan,  near  the  creek,  the  lime- 
stone seemed  to  repose  on  granite.  It  was  on  the 
east  side  of  the  granite,  dipping  to  the  east,  and 
the  granite  was  succeeded  on  the  west  by  red  and 
green  slates  that  seemed  to  pitch  under  it  towards 
the  east.  The  direction  of  the  granite  and  asso- 
ciated rocks  was  parallel  to  the  creek  for  some 
distance,  forming  a  low  ridge,  which  finally  crosses 
the  stream  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the 
bridge.  The  strike  is  north  fifty  degrees  east. 
The  red  and  green  slates  are  red  and  green  in  the 
same  continuous  layers,  and  the  colors  are  probably 
due  to  the  different  degrees  of  oxidation  of  iron  in 
the  different  parts  of  the  rock.  Near  Matteawan^ 
also,  the  granite,  and  red,  green  and  black  shales 
were  observed.  About  a  mile  east  of  Stormville, 
the  limestone  of  the  Fishkill  valley  is  succeeded  by 
the  granite  and  gneissoid  rocks  of  the  Highlands. 
Patches  of  limestone,  however, '  like  that  of  the 
valley,  were  occasionally  seen  on   the   mountains 


METAMORPHIC  ROCKS. 


8S 


farther  east.  The  dip  of  the  primary  rocks  was 
sixty  to  eighty  degrees  eastwardly,  and  the  strike 
north  forty-five  to  sixty  degrees  east. 

Metamorphic  rocks  include  such  as  present  evi- 
dence which  renders  it  highly  probable  that  they 
were  originally  sedimentary,  but  have  been  altered 
in  their  character,  so  as  to  change  them  into  such 
as  have  usually  been  called  primary.     In  those  of 
this  portion  of  the  first  district,  the  limestones  are 
granular,  dolomitized  and  stratified;  the  slates  are 
talco-argillaceous,  talcose,  chloritic,  or  micaceous, 
the  latter  predominating,  and  the  sandstones  are 
changed  to  granular  quartz  rock,  eurite  and  gneiss. 
The  intrusive  rocks  bear  but  a  small  proportion  to 
the  altered   rocks,   and   are    mostly   quartz   and 
granite.     These  rocks  range  from  Bennington  and 
Shaftsbury  in  Vermont,  in  a  direction  about  south, 
through  the  west  part  of  Massachusetts  and  Con- 
necticut and  the  east  part  of  New  York,  in  the 
counties  of  Duchess,  Putnam,  Westchester  and  New 
York,  to  Long  Island  Sound  and  Hudson  River. 
Between  the  Taconic  rocks  and  the  Metamorphic 
rocks  to  the  east  of  them,  no   well-marked  line  of 
distinction  can  be  drawn,  as  they  blend  into  each 
other   by  insensible   shades   of  difference.      The 
strata  of  the  metamorphic  rocks  are  very  much 
broken,  so  that  no  stratum  has  been  traced  con- 
tinuously for  more  than  a  few  miles. 

These  rocks  enter  the  State  in  the  north-east 
corner  of  this  county  from  the  south  end  of  Mt. 
Washington,  the  mica  slate  from  which  crosses  the 
valley  of  Oblong  Creek  very  obUquely ;  also  the 
mountain  called  Chestnut  Ridge,  south  of  Amenia, 
and  Winchell's  Mountain  north  of  that  place.  The 
mica  slate  occupies  about  half  the  breadth  of 
the  mountain  west  of  Amenia,  on  the  turnpike 
from  that  place  to  Poughkeepsie,  and  it  forms 
most  of  the  same  mountain  to  the  Highlands,  as 
the  west  boundary  of  the  Oblong  and  Dover  valleys. 
On  the  east  of  this  range  of  mica  slate,  (which 
rnerges  on  the  west  into  talcy  and  talco-argillaceous 
slate,)  the  rocks  are  almost  entirely  of  mica  slate, 
crystalline,  white  and  grey  dolomitic  Umestones,  and 
quartz  rock,  eastward  to  the  gneiss  rocks  near  the, 
Housatonic. 

In  some  places  garnets  and  crystals  of  staurotide 
are  found  in  the  mica  slate,  but  they  are  not  com- 
mon, and  more  frequently  it  shows  a  talco-argilla- 
ceous character  in  New  York,  indicative  of  its  origin, 
except  in  the  Highlands  and  farther  south.  Near 
the  line  between  North  East  and  Salisbury,  the 
talco-micaceous  slate  and  whitish  Umestone  were 
observed,  and  a  little  farther  east  the  mica  slate  was 


well  characterized  and  contained  garnets  and  some 
crystals  of  staurotide.     The  rocks  dipped  rapidly 
to  the  eastward.     At   the  Indian  Pond  ore  bed, 
white  and  grey  limestone  apparently  underlies,  and 
mica  slate  overlies  the  ore.     These  rocks  dip  sixty 
to   seventy  degrees  to  the  eastward.     The  moun- 
tain near  and  south-west  of  Leedsville  is  composed 
of  mica  slate  and  limestone,  and  both  dip  to  the 
east  at  a  high  angle.     Nearly  all  the  rock  seen  in 
place  between  that  mountain  and  Amenia  was  lime- 
stone, always  highly  inclined  to  the  east,  and  some- 
times almost  vertical.     It  is  generally  white  or  grey 
and  granular.     At  the  Amenia  ore  bed,  white  lime- 
stone was  seen  in  place  a  few  rods  to  the  west,  and 
talco-micaceous  slate  on  the  east,  the  latter  over- 
laid by  bluish  and  sandy  Umestone.     At  the  Deep- 
Hollow  furnace,  two  and  a  half  miles   south  of 
Amenia,  the  rock  is  mica  slate,  somewhat  talcy. 
Limestone  succeeds  the  mica  slate  on  the  east  side 
of  the  valley  opposite  the  furnace,  and  this  is  suc- 
ceeded farther   east  by  mica  slate.     These  rocks 
form  the  mountain  which  here  terminates  on  the 
south,    and  extends   northward  to  a  little  west  of 
Leedsville,  becoming  very  low  to  the  riorth-east  of 
Amenia  Seminary.     The  limestone  is  quarried  a 
little   east  of  the  furnace  and  used  as  a  flux  in 
smelting   the  ore.     The  rock  is  white  and  lies   in 
nearly  vertical  strata.     Between  the  Deep-Hollow 
furnace  and  the  steel  works   farther  to  the   south- 
east, the   rock  is  mica  slate,   and  is  succeeded  on 
the   east  by  white   and  grey  granular  Umestone. 
The  Umestone  was  seen  in  place  from  near  KUne's 
Corners,  in   the   south-east  part   of  Amenia,  and 
thence  at  frequent  intervals  to  Leedsville.     Much 
of  it  is  very  white  and  massive.     There  seems  to 
be  main  ranges  of  the  white  limestone  in  the  valley 
east  of  the  Chestnut  ridge.     One  ranges  down  the 
west   branch   of  the  vaUey  from  North   East  by 
Amenia    Seminary    and    Deep-Hollow    furnace; 
thence  south  to  two  miles  north  of  Dover  Plains ; 
thence  by  Dover  Plains,  cropping  out  at  intervals 
in  low  ridges  and  hummocks  through  the  quarter- 
nary  of  the  Dover  valley.     The  other  ranges  down 
the  Oblong  valley  in  Sharon  and  Amenia  by  Leeds- 
ville, Hitchcock's   Corners,    KUne's   Corners,  and 
the  hills  a  little  east  of  Dover,  where  it  crops  out 
also  in  low  ridges  through  the  quarternary. 

The  mountains  west  of  the  steel  works,  which 
seem  to  terminate  abruptly  to  the  south,  and  are  a 
part  of  the  Chestnut  ridge,  are  of  mica  slate,  and 
garnets  are  not  uncommon  in  it.  At  the  "  Stone 
Church,"  half  of  a  mile  south-west  of  Dover  Plains, 
mica  slate  may  be  seen  weU  exposed.     Garnets  and 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


a  single  crystal  of  staurotide  were  observed  here. 
Fine  specimens  of  the  mica  slate  containing  gar- 
nets may  be  obtained  at  the  falls  of  Wassaic  Creek, 
above  the  furnace  in  Amenia.  Near  the  "  City," 
the  mica  slate  passes  into  the  talcose  slate.  On 
the  road  from  Amenia  north-east  to  the  Chalk 
Pond  ore  bed,  the  limestone,  mica  slate  and  talc 
slate  were  all  seen  in  a  position  nearly  horizontal. 
They  may  be  better  examined  between  the  Chalk 
Pond  ore  bed  and  Perry's  Corners.  Limestone  of 
very  white  color  may  be  seen  three-fourths  of  a 
mile  north-east  of  Amenia  Seminary.  The  mica 
slate  is  sometimes  loaded  with  iron  pyrites.  One 
locality,  called  the  alum  rock,  is  in  the  south  part 
of  Amenia,  not  far  south-east  of  the  furnace ; 
another  is  the  mountain  two  miles  south-west  of 
Amenia,  in  contorted,  talcy,  micaceous  slate.  It  is 
sometimes  carbonaceous.  It  dips  ten  to  forty 
degrees  to  the  west.  Garnets  are  stated  to  be 
abundant  in  the  mica  slate  between  Beekman  and 
the  south-west  part  of  Dover,  by  Prof.  Cassels. 
White  limestone  skirts  the  east  base  of  the  Chest- 
nut ridge  in  Dover  and  into  Pawling.  The  lime- 
stone at  some  of  the  marble  quarries  near  Dover 
Plains  is  in  nearly  vertical  strata.  Generally,  all 
the  strata  of  rocks  in  this  region  dip  to  the  east- 
south-east  at  high  angles.  Professors  Cassels  and 
Merrick  explored  the  Dover  valley  south  into  Paw- 
ling, almost  to  Putnam  county,  and  found  it  skirted 
nearly  the  whole  distance  on  the  west  by  white 
limestone  in  nearly  vertical  strata,  dipping  seventy- 
five  to  eighty  degrees  to  the  east.  The  strike  was 
almost  north  and  south. 

The  "  Stone  Church  "  is  a  place  of  some  noto- 
riety as  a  natural  curiosity.  It  is  a  deep  chasm  in 
the  mica  slate  rock,  worn  out  much  larger  by  the 
wearing  action  of  a  stream  of  water.  It  is  very 
irregular  in  its  dimensions,  broader  at  bottom  than 
at  top,  with  large  masses  of  rock  in  the  bottom, 
over  which  it  is  necessary  for  the  visitor  to  clam- 
ber to  explore  its  more  remote  parts.  Segments  of 
pot-holes  have  been  worn  in  the  rocks  by  the  action 
of  pebbles  and  the  rapid  flow  of  water. 

The  Duchess  county  marble  varies  somewhat  in 
its  character.  It  is  almost  always  dolomitic,*  or 
composed  of  the  carbonates  of  lime  and  magnesia 
in  variable  proportions.  Sometimes  it  is  large 
grained  and  quite  compact ;  at  others  it  is  fine 
grained,  and  so  loose  in  its  texture  as  to  be  unfit 
for  a  building  rhaterial.  A  specimen  of  this  marble 
from  Dover,  which  was  of  snow-white  color,  had  a 

*  Dolomite  derives  its  name  from  the  French  geologist  Dolomieu.  When 
pure,  it  consists  of  54-3  per  cent,  of  carbonate  of  lime  and  45.7  per  cent, 
of  carbonate  of  magnesia. 


granular  texture,  and  was  as  friable  as  loaf  sugar, 
gave  upon  analysis  the  following  results  in  one  hun- 
dred parts,  viz :  carbonate  of  lime,  60.  50 ;  carbon- 
ate of  magnesia,  39.  50.* 

About  one  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Kline's  Cor- 
ners, near  the  hne  between  Kent,  Amenia  and  Do- 
ver, heavy  beds  of  close-grained  granular  quartz 
were  observed.  This  rock  seems  to  form  also  a 
portion  of  the  mountain  ranging  southwardly,  called 
Elbow  Mountain,  and  that  ranging  northwardly, 
called  Peaked  Mountain  in  the  reports.f  Th#  east 
side  of  Elbow  Mountain  trends  nearly  south,  and 
the  west  nearly  in  a  south-west  direction.  The 
north  end  presents  a  sharp  summit,  but  opposite 
Dover  it  is  three  or  four  miles  wide.  The  quartz 
rock  may  be  easily  examined  on  the  road  from 
Kline's  Corners  to  Kent,  in  a  field  on  the  north 
side  of  the  road.  It  contains  some  small  black 
crystals  in  some  places,  which  are  probably  horn- 
blende or  black  tourmaline.  This  quartz  rock  is 
believed  to  be  the  same  as  the  Potsdam  sandstone, 
only  altered  by  its  proximity  to  granitic  and  in- 
trusive rocks. 

The  granular  limestone  of  Duchess  county  is 
very  extensive,  and  does  not  yield  to  any  other 
mineral  deposit  in  the  county  in  prospective  value. 
Marble  quarries  are  extensively  wrought  in  some 
parts  of  its  range,  which  extends  through  the  great- 
er part  of  the  length  of  the  county,  and  crops  out 
with  variable  breadth  from  a  few  hundred  yards  to 
several  miles.  It  varies  much  in  texture  and  color. 
It  is  granular  and  compact,  white,  grey,  clouded, 
striped,  and  nearly  black.  In  some  localities  it  is 
strong  and  difficult  to  break ;  in  others  it  is  dolo- 
mitic and  very  friable,  and  crumbles  to  sand  by 
exposure  to  the  weather.  The  hmestone  beds  of 
this  range  are  interstratified  with  talcose  and  mica- 
ceous slate.  They  dip  to  the  east  and  east-south- 
east from  twenty  to  ninety  degrees.  *  It  is  rarely 
used,  except  as  a  wall  stone.  Lime  has  been  made 
from  it  in  Amenia  and  some  other  places.  It 
makes  a  good  strong  lime. 

The  calcareous  sand,  caused  by  the  disintegra- 
tion near  the  surface  of  many  of  the  beds  of  dolo- 
mitic limestone,  may  probably  be  used  with  advan- 
tage on  the  soil  as  a 'substitute  for  marl.  It  is 
found  by  experience  that  the  lime  of  these  dolo- 
mites does  not  injure  vegetation,  like  that  of  Euro- 
pean magnesian  limestones  ;  and  the  rock  here  is 
pulverulent,  and  ready  to  act  on  vegetation  in 
the  same  manner  as  marl.  * 


*  Prof.  BecK s  Fourth  Geological  Report,  6l,  62. 

t  Vide  Second  Annual  Geological  Report  of  New  York,  1838,  p  i^^. 


MARBLE— STEATITE— IRON  ORE. 


87 


The  principal  marble  quarries  in  the  county  are 
in  the  town  of  Dover,  near  the  village  of  Dover 
Plains,  Preston's  and  Ketcham's  quarries  being  the 
principal  openings.  Two  stone  saw-mills  reduce 
the  huge  blocks  to  marketable  slabs,  and  are 
abundantly  supplied  from  the  quarries  with  sharp, 
gritty  sand,  without  which  the  saws  would  be  pow- 
erless. The  marble  works  easily  and  is  susceptible 
of  a  fine  polish.  It  is  almost  a  pure  white,  fine- 
grained, dolomitic  limestone,  and  is  mostly  used 
for  tomb-stones. 

Near  Kline's  and  Hitchcock's  Corners  are  exten- 
sive beds  of  limestone  which  do  not  crumble  by 
the  action  of  the  weather,  and  would  make  a  good 
marble.  In  Beekman,  near  Doughty's  mills,  fine 
marble,  in  beds  of  a  few  feet  in  thickness,  were  ob- 
served, as  also  in  several  places  in  East  Fishkill, 
near  Stormville  and  Hopewell.  Clouded  marbles 
were  observed  by  Mr.  Merrick  on  the  Worster 
Wheeler  and  E.  Merritt  farms  in  North  East,  and 
was  quarried  in  the  latter  place  in  the  early  part  of 
the  present  century.  Other  quarries  have  been 
worked  in  several  places,  though  the  demand  for 
the  particular  kinds  was  not  sufficient  to  make  them 
profitable.  Beds  of  marble  as  good  as  that  so  well 
known  in  Egremont  and  Stockbridge,  undoubtedly 
exist  in  North  East,  Amenia,  Dover,  Pawling, 
Beekman  and  Fishkill.  The  resources  of  Duchess 
county  in  valuable  marbles  are  inexhaustible. 

East  of  Poughquaick  in  Beekman,  the  granular 
quartz  rock  was  seen,  having  almost  the  characters 
of  gneiss,  and  the  slate  was  changed  to  a  mica 
slate.  South  of  Shenandoah  the  granular  quartz 
was  seen  again,  and  there  it  was  compact  and 
homogeneous  like  eurite,  but  retained  its  strata 
planes.  The  associated  limestones  are  very  grey 
and  white.  The  dip  was  in  some  places  almost 
vertical  to  the  south-east. 

Steatite  (soap-stone)  was  seen  near  Peckville. 
It  is  there  intermixed  with  serpentine,  and  al- 
though abundant,  and  quarried  in  large  blocks,  it 
was  found  difficult  to  saw  it  well  in  consequence 
of  the  different  degrees  of  hardness  of  the  steatite 
and  serpentine.  It  is  beautifully  spotted  aiid 
clouded,  and  as  steatite  indurates  by  heat,  it  is 
possible  that  it  may  at  some  future  time  be  wrought 
as  an  ornamental  stone.  Some  of  the  masses  of 
steatite  are  very  pure,  soft  and  easily  wrought.  In 
some  parts  of  the  bed  the  rock  is  granular,  or 
scaly  talc,  either  pure,  or  traversed  in  every  direc- 
tion by  crystals  of  actynolite. 

The  iron  ore  of  Duchess  County  is  very  abun- 
dant, and  makes  iron  of  the  best  quality.  -The 


mines  are  numerous,  and,  generally,  are  easily 
worked  and  free  from  water.  The  ore  consists 
principally  of  limonite,  (sometimes  called  brown 
hematite,)  which  varies  in  its  state  of  aggregation 
from  a  yellow  pulverulent  mass  to  a  compact  brown 
iron-stone.  It  is  mammillary,  botryoidal,  spongi- 
form, and  with  stalactitic  forms,  some  of  which 
have  hemispherical,  and  others  acicular  termina- 
tions; others  are  like  bunches  of  pendant  moss. 
The  solid  stalactitic  forms  are  fibrous,  with 
diverging  radii  from  the  center.  The  specimens 
are  beautiful  and  highly  ornamental  as  curiosities 
and  as  minerals.  In  1843,  there  were  said  to  be 
ten  furnaces  within  twelve  miles  of  Amenia,  which 
made  in  the  aggregate  about  10,000  tons  of  iron  per 
annum,  and  affijrded  employment  to  about  1,000 
men  as  ore-diggers,  coal-men,  teamsters,  smelters, 
limestone-diggers,  etc.  Some  of  these  were  in 
Connecticut,  near  the  line ;  but  the  furnace  at 
Hopewell  was  not  included  in  the  number.  In 
t88o  the  production  of  iron  in  the  county  had  in- 
creased to  more  than  six  times  that  quantity — 
61,637  tpns,  exceeding  the  production  of  any  pre- 
ceding year.  The  malleable  iron  from  the  furnaces 
in  this  county  is  highly  valued  for  its  toughness  and 
softness,  and  has  been  extensively  employed  in 
making  anchors,  musket  and  pistol  barrels,  wire, 
etc.  The  ore  makes  the  finest  car-wheels  and  can- 
non, and  it  is  said  by  experts  to  be  peculiarly 
adapted  to  making  the  best  steel.  The  geological 
situation  of  the  ore-beds  is  very  constant,  and 
mostly  at  the  junction  of  mica  or  talcose  slate 
with  the  grey  and  white  limestones.  The  limestone 
generally  crops  out  on  the  west  side  of  the  ore 
beds,  and  the  mica  and  talc  slate  on  the  east,  and 
both  dip  at  an  angle  of  from  twenty  to  sixty  degrees 
to  the  east-south-east. 

The  ore  bed  in  East  Fishkill  is  thus  described  by 
Dr.  Beck  in  the  Geological  Report  of  1837: — 

"  This  is  the  ore  bed  belonging  to  the  Fishkill 
Iron  Company.  It  is  situated  about  three  miles 
north-east  of  the  village  of  Hopewell.  The  hill  in 
which  it  occurs  presents  no  peculiarity  that  I 
could  discover,  except  that  its  surface"  is  made 
up  of  coarse  gravel,  and  has  a  rounded  form  in 
various  places.  The  ore  is  covered  by  a  stiff  whitish 
clay,  and  is  intermixed  with  the  same  substance, 
called  fuller's  earth  by  the  miners.  Quartz  is  also 
one  of  the  accompanying  minerals,  and  a  sort  of 
slate  is  also  found  in  the  center  of  the  mass  of  ore, 
which  causes  some  inconvenience  to  the  smelter. 
The  whole  bed  is  made  up  of  nodules  of  ore  of 
various  sizes  and  forms,  but  unusually  rounded, 
which  are  covered,  and  apparently  cemented 
together  with  a  yellowish  brown  clayey  ochre. 
These  nodules  are  often  hollow  ;  and  when  this  is 


88 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


the  case,  the  inner  surface  is  highly  polished,  and 
has  the  appearance  of  having  been  fused.  Some- 
times also  beautiful  stalactites,  of  various  sizes  and 
forms,  are  found  in  these  balls ;  and  occasionally 
there  is  observed  a  thin  lining  of  a  black  powdery 
nature,  resembling  plumbago,  which  is  believed  to 
be  oxide  .of  manganese.  The  structure  of  the  ore 
is  fibrous,  and  its  color  brown.  This  bed  is  worked 
by  levels  or  burrows  carried  in  various  directions 
through  the  hill  in  which  it  is  situated.  These  ex- 
cavations have  already  extended  to  the  distance  of 
ninety  or  a  hundred  feet  from  the  entrance.  The 
roof  of  these  burrows  is  from  twelve  to  thirty  feet 
above  the  floor,  and  is  supported  by  pillars  of  ore, 
from  five  to  teti  feet  in  thickness.  The  ore  alter- 
nates with  the  clay  and  Slate,  and  from  what  I  sub- 
sequently observed,  I  infer  that  the  bed  rests  upon 
mica  slate,  although  I  did  not  find  that  rock  in  the 
immediate  vicinity." 

Most  of  t;he  galleries,  says  Prof.  Mather,  in  1843, 
have  caved  in,  in  consequence  of  the  injudicious 
method  of  working  the  ore.  The  superincumbent 
materials  are  clay,  loam,  gravel  and  pebbles,  im- 
perfectly aggregated  like  "  hard  pan ;"  so  that  when 
the  soil  becomes  very  wet,  they  have  little  tenacity; 
and  as  the  galleries  are  made  large,  and  without 
any  support  to  sustain  the  superincumbent  mater- 
ials, they  cave  in,  and  render  the  extraction  of  ore 
expensive.  The  ore  is  of  good  quaUty,  but  more 
mixed  with  earthy  matter  than  at  many  of  the 
other  mines.  Limestone  was  seen  in  places  a  few 
rods  west  of  the  mines,  and  of  the  same  general 
character  as  that  seen  at  the  various  mines  of  this 
kind  of  iron  ore.  There  are  at  present  (1881)  two 
mines  in  this  locality,  situated  on  the  Clove  Branch 
of  the  Newburgh,  Duchess  &  Connecticut  Rail- 
road, viz:  Brown's  and  Tower's,  the  former  em- 
ploying about  forty  men  and  the  latter  about  thirty. 
Their  combmed  product  is  about  150  tons  of  ore 
per  day,  that  of  the  latter  being  transported  to  the 
furnaces  in  Poughkeepsie. 

The  Clove  ore  bed  is  an  extensive  deposit  of 
brown  hematite,  situated  in  the  south-west  part  of 
Union  Vale,  on  the  west  side  of  the  hill  running 
parallel  with  the  valley  of  the  Clove.  The  gen- 
eral appearance  of  the  hill  in  which  it  is  situated 
does  not  differ  much  from  that  of  the  East  Fish- 
kill  ore  bed,  but  it  appears  to  be  more  extensive, 
at  least  it  has  been  more  extensively  explored.  In 
most  instances  it  has  been  worked  ^(7 //5i?  day  ;  large 
excavations  having  been  made  in  various  places, 
which  communicate  with  some  central  point  by 
means  of  roads  or  railways.  The  Dover  Iron  Co. 
sunk  a  shaft  and  constructed  a  level  to  intersect  it. 
f  he  ore  is  in  general  similar  to  that  found  at  the 
bed  in  East  Fishkill,  but  contains,  perhaps,  a  larger 


proportion  of  the  ochery  or  fine  ore,  which  is  con- 
sidered more  valuable  than  the  other  varieties. 
Associated  with  it  are  minute  crystals  of  oxide  of 
manganese,  and  that  rare  mineral,  gibbsite.  It  is 
a  very  pure  hydrated  peroxide  of  iron,  and  is  mostly 
fibrous  hematite.  It  supplies  the  Beekman  furnace 
two  miles  further  south.  A  bed  of  white  clay,  or 
fuller's  earth,  rests  upon  the  ore  as  at  East  Fishkill, 
and  the  ore  bed  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  Ume- 
stone.  The  southernmost  of  the  ore  beds  at  this  place 
does  not  make  as  good  iron  as  the  others,  though 
the  ore  is  richer  and  yields  a  greater  proportion  of 
iron.      The  ore  is  mostly  the  fibrous  hematite. 

Foss'  ore  bed  is  situated  in  the  town  of  Dover 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  west-south-west  of  the 
furnace  of  the  Dover  Iron  Company,  in  a  valley 
between  the  spurs  of  the  mountain  which  passes 
through  this  part  of  the  country,  and  it  is  particu- 
larly interesting  as  showing  the  association  of  the 
hematite  with  the  mica  slate,  which  occurs  here  in 
strata  of  some  thickness,  and  contains  garnets 
of  various  sizes.  In  extent  it  appears  to  be  in- 
ferior to  those  already  noticed.  The  ore  is  in 
much  larger  masses,  and  is  not  only  reduced  to 
powder  with  more  difficulty,  but  contains  a  larger 
proportion  of  foreign  substances.  Work  has  for 
some  time  been  discontinued. 

The  Amenia  and  SaUsbury  ore  beds  are  the  most 
extensively  wrought  of  any  iron  mines  of  this  ore 
in  the  United  States,  and  the  iron  from  these  beds 
is  considered  superior  in  softness  and  toughness  to 
that  of  any  other  mine  in  the  country.  The  ore 
in  the  Amenia  beds  yields  fifty  per  centum  of  pig 
iron,  and  inproves  in  quality  as  it  descends.  The 
deposit  is  very  extensive,  and  is  covered  with  eart\ 
gravel  and  broken  rocks  to  a  depth  of  five  to 
twenty  feet.  In  1843,  the  beds,  which,  in  one 
place,  had  been  excavated  to  a  depth  of  forty-five 
feet,  yielded  5,000  tons  of  ore  per  annum ;  and 
Prof.  Mather  estimated  that  at  that  rate  of  pro- 
duction they  would  not  be  exhausted  in  three 
hundred  years.  Talcose  slate  crops  out  a  few 
rods  east  and  white  limestone  a  few  rods  west 
of  the  bed.  Another  mine,  possibly  a  contin- 
uation of  the  same  bed,  is  opened  at  Squab- 
ble Hole,  about  two  miles  south-south-west  of 
Ameniaville,  The  ore,  which  is  abundant,  was 
discovered  while  digging  a  well.  The  Chalk  Pond 
ore  bed,  two  and  one-half  miles  north-east  of 
Ameniaville,  was  extensively  wrought  many  years 
ago,  and  abandoned  in  consequence  of  the  water 
from  the  pond  incommoding  the  mines ;  but  this 
difficulty  has  been  obviated  by  drainage. 


LEAD— COPPER— GOLD— SILVER. 


89 


The  ore  bed  near  the  village  of  Amenia,  (or 
Paine's  Corners,  as  it  has  been  called,)  is  best  ex- 
posed to  examination,  and  has  yielded  the  greatest 
quantity  of  ore.  In  some  places  clayey  matter  is 
intermixed  with  the  ore;  in  others  it  is  red  like  the 
earthy  red  oxide  of  iron,  yellow  like  iron  ochre, 
white  like  pipe  clay,  and  sometimes  bluish.  The 
blue  clay  is  not  plastic,  but  rather  crumbly  when 
wet ;  it  is  more  or  less  mixed  with  talcy  and  mica- 
ceous matter,  and  contains  a  multitude  of  minute 
but  perfect  cubic  crystals  of  pyrites.  This  bed 
yields  the  greatest  variety  of  the  most  beautiful 
and  delicate  specimens  for  the  cabinet  of  any  local- 
ity which  came  under  the  observation  of  Prof. 
Mather,  who  says  it  "is  a  treat  to  the  mineral- 
ogist." Prof.  Beck  says :  "  a  fragment  of  stalactite 
from  this  locality  was  found  to  have  a  specific 
gravity  of  3.828  ;  and  to  lose  upon  calcination  13.5 
per  centum  of  its  weight.  The  composition  of 
this  specimen  will  probably  be  a  fair  average  of 
that  of  the  pure  hematitic  variety  from  the  various 
localities  in  this  county."  His  analysis  of  brown 
hematite  from  the  Amenia  ore  bed  gives  the  fol- 
lowing result : — 

Peroxide  of  iron 82.90 

Silica  and  alumina 3.60 

Water i3S° 

Oxide  of  manganese trace 

Proportion  of  metallic  iron 57.50  pr.  ct. 

Galena,  or  the  sulphuret  of  lead,  is  extensively 
distributed  in  small  quantities  over  a  tract  extend- 
ing through  this  county  and  the  counties  north  of 
it  on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson.  In  nearly  every 
locality  it  is  situated  in  veins,  traversing  the  strata 
near  the  junction  of  limestone  with  slate  rocks, 
where  they  have  been  upturned  and  exposed  to 
great  derangements,  and  more  or  less  affected  by 
metamorphic  agency.  Many  localities  were  exam- 
ined, but  none  gave  much  promise  of  profitable 
investment.  Fine  grained  galena  is  found  in  Dover 
in  a  small  vein,  in  dolomite,  near  the  Preston  Inn. 
It  is  situated  in  a  quartz  vein  which  traverses  the 
limestone,  and  the  ore  is  disseminated  in  small 
grains  and  bunches.  Lead  ore  occurs  in  Amenia. 
In  April,  1863,  the  Amenia  Lead  Co.  was  organ- 
ized with  a  capital  of  ^500,000.  The  property  of 
the  company  was  situated  about  seven  miles  from 
Amenia,  and  consisted  of  about  100  acres  held  by 
the  company  in  fee  simple,  and  some  1,220  acres, 
about  three-fourths  of  which  was  covered  by  long 
mining  leases,  with  covenants  for  renewal  and  pur- 
chase at  the  company's  option,  and  the  remaining 
one-fourth  by  a  perpetual  mining  lease.     An  an- 


alysis of  one  ton  of  copper  ore  from  this  mine  was 
made  by  Augustus  T.  Moith,  in  May,  1863,  with 
the  following  result :  Copper  oxide,  1,350  to  1,400 
lbs. ;  sulphur,  280  lbs. ;  Water,  240  lbs. ;  silver, 
33^  to  34  oz. ;  lead,  20  lbs. ;  earthy  matter,  140  lbs. 
Galena  is  said  to  have  been  found  at  Rhinebeck ; 
and  in  Stanford  lead  ore  is  said  to  occur  on  the 
Asa  Thorn  and  Asa  Thompson  places.  Copper 
ore  was  observed  in  small  quantity  on  the  Gen- 
eral Brush  farm  in  Aihenia,  about  a  hundred  rods 
west  of  the  "City"  meeting-house.  This  locality 
was  worked  for  copper  ore  in  the  early  part  of  the 
present  century.  Copper  ore,  principally  of  the 
black  sulphuret,  occurs  in  the  Judge  Bockee  lead 
mines  in  North  East.  Copper  pyrites  were  observed 
in  the  siliceous  slate,  on  the  road  from  Lower  Red 
Hook  to  Upper  Red  Hook  landing,  but  in  small 
quantity.  It  was  on  the  Nathan  Beckwith  farm. 
On  the  Van  Wyck  farm  in  East  Fishkill,  about  a 
mile  south-east  of  Johnsonville,  Mr.  Merrick  saw 
a  thin  vein  of  quartz  in  limestone,  which  contained 
galena  and  some  copper  pyrites.  Blende  is  seen 
in  veins  one-fourth  to  one  inch  wide  in  the  lime- 
stone at  the  Ward  Bryan  and  Judge  Bockee  lead 
mines  in  North  East.*  It  was  seen  in  small  quan- 
tities at  most  of  the  lead  diggings  in  various  parts 
of  the  county.  In  North  East,  on  the  Lee  farm, 
about  four  miles  north  of  Amenia,  excavations  were 
made  many  years  since  in  search  of  silver.  They 
are  in  the  quartz  veins,  in  the  talcy  slate  rock,  near 
its  junction  with  the  limestone.  Pyrites  occur  in 
some  abundance  there ;  but  no  other  ore  was  seen. 
In  the  north-east  part  of  La  Grange  are  numerous 
excavations  said  to  have  been  silver  mines,  from 
which,  according  to  tradition,  large  quantities  were 
obtained  in  olden  times.  Mr.  Merrick  found  no 
traces  of  any  metal,  except  a  few  particles-  of 
'  pyrites,  "  and  the  money  made  there,"  says  Prof. 
Mather,  "was  probably  'out  of  pocket.'"  Silver 
mines  have  been  mentioned  as  occurring  in  par- 
ticular localities,  "but  investigation  showed,  in  at 
least  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  that  pyrites  was  the 
deceptive  mineral."  The  county  is  not  without 
auriferous  deposits,  as  is  shown  by  the  following 
from  the  Poughkeepsie  Weekly  Eagle  of  May  6, 
1876:— 

"The  existence  of  gold  in  the  hills  around  Rhine- 
beck  has  long  been  known.  *  *  *  In  1868  or 
'69,  Dr.  Freleigh,  then  a  physician  of  Rhinebeck, 

*  Numerous  excavations  for  lead  and  copper  were  made  in  these  local- 
ities, in  colonial  times,  as  early  as  1740  by  a  company  of  Germans,  who 
sent  the  ore  to  Bristol,  England.  The  mines  were  re-opened  during  the 
Revolution,  and  a  few  tons  of  ore  obtained.  Geology  o/the  First  Geo- 
logical District  of  New  York,  \i,b.— French's  Gazetteer  of  the  State  of 
New  York,  li^. 


9° 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


satisfied  himself  that  there  was  valuable  treasure 
about  eight  miles  east  of  the  village.  The  land  was 
owned  by  Daniel  Murch,  and  an  agreement  was 
made  by  which  Dr.  Freleigh  was  to  have  the  refusal 
of  the  farm  for  a  year.  Dr.  Freleigh  interested 
parties  in  New  York,  to  whom  he  sold  the  farm  for 
$100,000,  paying  Murch  $25,000,  when  both  re- 
tired from  the  business.  After  the  disposal  of 
the  farm,  the  gold  excitement  died  out,  and 
nothing  was  done  in  mining.  The  first  practical 
explorations  of  the  gold  fields  were  begun  in  the 
summer  of  1875,  by  J.  B.  Lichtenstein,  of  New 
York,  who  purchased  of  N.  W.  H.  Judson,  of 
Rhinebeck,  the  farm  adjoining  that  of  Murch.  A 
shaft  was  sunk  into  the  hills  about  thirty  feet,  and 
a  tunnel  started  in  the  direction  of  the  most  prom- 
ising leads.  The  machinery  used  was  of  the 
crudest  kind,  being  a  hand-working  crusher,  a 
small  furnace,  and  a  few  imperfect  tools.  The 
most  productive  ore  found  yielded  not  more  than 
$25  per  ton,  and  the  mine  cannot  be  made  to  pay 
at  less  than  $35  a  ton." 

The  primary  rocks,  which  are  similar  in  mineral- 
ogical  characters,  in  mineral  contents,  and  in  geo- 
logical associations,  are  confined  in  this  county  to 
the  south-east  portion  and  a  few  islands  surrounded 
by  other  formations.     They  occupy  Pawling,  the 
east  part  of  Beekman,  and  south-east  and  south 
part  of  East  Fishkill,  the  east  part  of  Dover,  and 
a  small  part  of  Pine  Plains  and  Stanford.     They 
are  numerous  and  everywhere  abundant,  and  are 
seen  cropping  out  from  the  surface  of  almost  every 
hill  and  ravine.     Many  of  them  are  applied  to  use- 
ful purposes.     The  principal  are  granite,  sienite, 
gneiss,   mica   slate,  augite   rock,    greenstone  and 
hornblende  rocks,  quartz  rock,  talcose  slate,  lime- 
stone, serpentine   and  steatite,  the   latter  five  of 
which  have  been  descfibed  as  metamorphic  rocks. 
Granite  occurs   abundantly,   and    presents   all 
varieties   of  texture,   from  a  very  coarse  grained 
rock  to  one  almost  perfectly  compact.     It  varies 
as  much  in  color  as  in  texture,  being  white,  grey, 
red,  yellowish  and  bluish  grey,  according  to  the 
color  of  the-  minerals  forming  it.    The  color  of  the 
feldspar  usually  determines  that  of  the  mass.     It 
occurs  in  beds,  veins,  interstratified  masses,  and  in 
knots,  knobs  and  protruding  masses,  in  which  no 
connection  with  veins  or  beds  has  been  traced. 
The  more  common  mode  of  its  occurrence  is  in 
beds    10  to    100  feet    thick,    interstratified  with 
gneiss.     Some  of  it  is  too   coarse   for  use  as  a 
building  material ;  some  is  too  compact  and  hard, 
being,  in  fact,  eurite ,-  others  are  well  adapted  for 
building.     The  materials  are  of  the  best  quaUty, 
easily  quarried  in  large  blocks,  suitable  for  columns 
and  cornices,  easily  dressed,  and  enduring  as  time, 
as  the  naked  crags  themselves  testify. 


Hornblende,  associated  with  hornblendic  gneiss, 
was  observed  on  Mt.  Stissing,  near  Pine  Plains, 
and  on  the  mountains  in  Pawling.  The  horn- 
blendic rocks  are  constantly  associated  with  the 
beds  of  magnetic  oxides  of  iron. 

Sienite  is  generally  coarse  grained,  of  a  reddish 
color,  spotted  with  black  crystalline  and  irregular 
masses  of  hornblende.  It  passes  into  hornblendic 
slate  and  hornblendic  gneiss  on  the  one  hand,  and 
into  hornblende  rock  on  the  other. 

Gneiss  varies  greatly  in  external  aspect  and  com- 
position ;  and  its  color  is  dependent  upon  the  rela- 
tive abundance  of  its  constituents,  which  are 
variously  colored  in  different  localities.  The  feld- 
spar is  white,  reddish,  or  of  a  bluish  grey ;  the 
mica  is  black,  brown,  yellow,  copper-colored  and 
white ;  the  quartz  is  white,  grey,  or  smoky.  In 
some  places  mica  abounds  in  the  rock,  and  it  ap- 
proaches to  mica  slate ;  but  more  commonly  the 
feldspar  is  most  abundant,  and  gives  character  to  it. 
Mica  slate  has  a  very  limited  distribution,  and 
when  it  does  occur  it  seems  to  be  a  modification  of 
gneiss,  the  mica  becoming  predominant,  while 
within  a  short  distance  the  rock  resumes  its  char- 
acter of  gneiss. 

Augite  rock  is  sometimes  mixed  with  feldspar,  but 
is  more  commonly  either  by  itself,  or  mixed  with 
the  various  minerals  that  are  usually  associated 
with  it.  It  is  of  all  shades  of  color,  from  white, 
through  grey  and  green  of  various  shades  to  black ; 
and  from  compact  through  various  grades  of  gran- 
ular to  broad  fohated  masses,  in  the  forms  of 
fassaite,  coccolite,  common  augite,  sahlite,  crystal- 
lized augite  and  diopside.  This  rock  has  not  been 
applied  to  any  useful  purpose. 

Greenstone,  in  some  places,  has  the  aspect  of 
common  trap,  like  basalt,  but  more  commonly  the 
hornblende  predominates  and  gives  its  character 
to  it.  It  traverses  and  is  intruded  in  sheets  and 
irregular  masses  among  the  gneiss  and  other  rocks 
m  the  same  way  as  granite  and  sienite,  and  many 
of  the  masses  classed  with  this  rock  may  be  classed 
with  sienite,  but  for  the  fineness  of  the  grain,  being 
of  about  the  same  texture  of  a  sandstone,  com- 
posed of  black  hornblende  with  grains  of  white  and 
grey  feldspar. 

^  Granular  quartz  rock  was  observed  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Dover  Valley,  in  Dover,  adjacent  to 
the  gneiss  rocks;  but  this  and  the  contiguous 
white  dolomitic  limestone  belong  to  the  metamor- 
phic rocks.  ' 

^  The  mass  of  primary  rocks  in  Pine  Plains  and 
Stanford  is   called  Mt.  Stissing.     Its  highest  peak 


ALLUVIAL  DEPOSITS— MARL— PEAT. 


91 


is  probably  elevated  nearly  a  thousand  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  lake  on  its  east  side.  It  is  com- 
posed of  gneiss  and  hornblendic  gneiss  with  some 
granite,  all  of  which  are  like  the  rocks  of  the  High- 
lands. The  strata  range  north  fifteen  to  twenty 
degrees  east,  and  dip  from  seventy  to  ninety  de- 
grees to  the  westward.  The  mountain  is  entirely 
isolated,  like  an  island,  surrounded  entirely  by  the 
quarternary  and  rocks  of  the  Champlain  division. 
The  Potsdam  sandstone  rests  on  the  primary  at 
the  south-west  end  of  the  mountain,  and  this  is 
covered  by  the  grey  limestones  and  slates  of  the 
Champlain  division.  The  slates  on  the  west  side 
of  the  mountain  are  broken  and  crumpled  up  in 
the  greatest  confusion. 

Magnetic  iron  is  the  only  ore  of  any  great  eco- 
nomical importance  known  to  the  Highlands,  but 
there  are  some  beds  of  limonite,  some  of  pyrites 
and  of  arsenical  iron.  Lead,  silver  and  tin  ores 
are  said  to  have  been  found,  but  Prof.  Mather  says 
he  has  seen  no  indications  to  justify  the  conclusion 
that  they  occur  in  any  important  quantities.  Cop- 
per pyrites  and  carbonate  of  copper  have  been 
observed  in  small  quantities. 

Vast  quantities  of  alluvion  are  being  constantly 
deposited  in  the  Hudson  by  the  numerous  streams 
emptying  into  it.  Almost  every  creek  has  its  del- 
ta. These  alluvions  are  highly  important  both  in 
an  economical  and  scientific  point  of  view.  They 
are  sensibly  increasing  in  height  and  area,  and  will 
at  some  future  time  make  valuable  and  productive 
lands.  Some  of  them  are  now  employed  for  hay 
and  pasturage,  and  others  are  rapidly  becoming 
adapted  for  such  uses.  Between  Upper  Red  Hook 
landing  and  the  mouth  of  the  Saghkill  an  exten- 
sive alluvial  deposit  is  forming,  which  may  be  con- 
sidered the  united  deltas  of  the  Saghkill  and  Stony 
Creek.  The  bay  in  which  this  deposition  is  taking 
place,  is  filling  up  by  the  deposits  of  the  streams 
flowing  into  it,  the  wash  of  the  adjacent  clay  hills 
on  the  east  and  north,  and  by  organic  depositions, 
which  form  a  large  proportion  of  the  bulk  of  ac- 
cumulating matter.  The  aquatic  plants  grow  very 
thick  and  luxuriant,  and  by  their  annual  decay 
form  a  large  amount  of  carbonaceous  matter, 
mixed  with  the  wash  of  the  adjacent  country.  Two 
islands  cut  off  the  "river  from  most  of  the  west 
boundary  of  the  baj-,  and  a  marsh  connects  the 
largest  with  the  main  land,  so  that  the  water  stag- 
nates.- They  are  on  a  line  with  the  rocky  shore 
above  Upper  Red  Hook  landing,  and  are  the  out- 
cropping edges  of  the  same  strata.  An  island  of 
alluvial    ooze  is  forming  about  two  and  one-half 


miles  below  Rhinebeck  landing,  and  extensive 
flats  under  water  are  also  in  process  of  formation. 
Between  Emott's  and  Thompson's  landings  clay 
hills  bound  the  bay  on  the  east,  in  which  these  de- 
positions are  taking  place.  Three  small  creeks 
also  empty  into  it,  and  by  their  deposits  assist  in 
the  accumulation.  At  the  mouth  of  Casper  Creek 
a  small  deha  is  forming.  At  the  mouth  of  Wap- 
pinger  Creek,  a  small  alluvial  deposition  com- 
mences, and  extends  with  little  interruption  till  it 
joins  that  of  Fishkill  Creek,  and  continues  thence 
to  the  Highlands.  There  are  many  alluvial 
marshes  and  flats  too  small  to  notice,  and  they  can 
be  of  comparatively  little  value,  even  prospective- 
ly, except  for  manure. 

Shell  marl  abounds  in  the  valley  of  the  Hudson. 
It  is  a  white  pulverulent  substance  when  dry,  and 
when  wet,  is  so  soft  that  a  pole  may  easily  be 
thrust  into  it.  It  is  composed  of  the  shells  and 
decayed  fragments  of  the  lymn»a,  Physa  heter- 
osiropha,  Planorbis  trivalvis,  P.  campanulatus, 
Cyclas  similis,  and  other  species.  Uniones  and 
anodontce  are  sometimes  found  in  it.  The  term 
marl,  in  its  strict  mineralogical  sense,  means  an 
-  argillaceous  carbonate  of  lime. 

Peat  has  an  extensive  range  in  the  county,  and 
occurs  in  patches  of  two  to  three  hundred  acres, 
the  most  important  deposits  being  in  Pawling, 
Pine  Plains,  Stanford  and  Amenia.  This  alluvion 
is  the  result  of  vegetable  decomposition.  It  varies 
in  its  aspect.  The  best  quality  is  a  soft,  unctious, 
tremulous  mud  when  wet,  but  when  dry  is  so  com- 
pact as  to  receive  a  slight  pohsh.  When  heated, 
it  burns  with  flame  and  bituminous  odor.  Ligne- 
ous, fibrous  and  compact  peat  are  the  principal 
varieties.  The  former  two  are  of  comparatively 
little  value  ;  the  latter  makes  a  valuable  fuel  and 
is  extensively  used  for  that  purpose  in  France  and 
Ireland.  In  cold  climates  it  is  formed  in  moist 
ground  and  shallow  ponds,  wherever  there  is  an  ac- 
cumulation of  vegetable  matter.  Decayed  trees 
form  a  light,  soft,  spongy  mass,  called  ligneous 
peat.  From  decomposed  grasses  and  seeds  a 
fibrous  peat  is  formed,  which  is  light  and  spongy 
several  feet  below  the  surface,  but  at  a  greater 
depth  may  be  of  good  quality  for  fuel.  Small 
aquatic  plants  and  mosses,  such  as  Sphagnum 
palustre,  produce  peat,  which,  at  a  moderate  depth, 
is  compact,  without  fibres,  uniform  in  its  texture, 
and  of  good  quality.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Shafter,  of 
New  York,  observed  peat  and  marl  in  Rhinebeck, 
North  East  and  Clinton  in  1817.  He  gave,  ai  sec- 
tion  of  one  of  the  marshes,  which  is  as  follows: 


92 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


I,  sod  and  vegetable  mold;  2,  a  stratum  of  turf 
on  peat,  three  to  four  feet ;  3,  a  stratum  of  peat 
and  marl  mingled,  two  feet ;  4,  a  stratum  of  pure 
marl,  two  to  three  feet.  Below  these  there  was  an 
appearance  of  sand  and  blue  clay.* 

The  county  presents  examples  of  the  sinking  of 
limestone  rock  into  caverns  below,  in  consequence 
of  the  gradual  removal  of  the  limestone  that  sup- 
ported the  roofs  of  the  caverns,  by  the  solving  and 
erosive  action  of  subterranean  springs  and  streams. 
Near  Clinton  Point  in  Poughkeepsie,  the  ground 
sank,  the  rock  being  no  longer  able  to  bear  the 
weight  of  the  superincumbent  mass.  A  man 
that  was  plowing  had  passed  over  this  ground 
but  a  moment  before.  Another  occurred  in  Pine 
Plains,  on  the  line  of  a  subterranean  stream. 
Trees  were  not  disturbed  in  their  growth  on  the 
sunken  ground  but  a  cow  that  was  in  it,  died 
from  want  of  water  and  food,  from  her  inability  to 
climb  out  of  the  sunken  space. 

Concreted  carbonate  of  lime  was  seen  in  small 
quantity  at  and  near  the  "  Spook  Hole,"t  a  cave 
near  Clinton  Point.  Tufa  is  mentioned  by  Cleave- 
land  near  Rhinebeck. 

Clay  balls  and  calcareous  concretions  are  com- 
monly found  in  the  tertiary  or  quarternary  clay 
beds,  which  are  of  alluvial  formation.  One  divis- 
ion of  them  seems  to  be  formed  by  segregation, 
like  septaria  and  the  various  nodular  masses  em- 
bedded in  limestone,  slate  and  other  rocks.  They 
present  a  great  variety  of  forms,  rarely  spherical, 
except  when  grouped  in  botryoidal  masses;  but 
generally  flattened  ovoidal  digitated,  and  more 
similar  in  form  to  the  various  shapes  of  cakes  made 
for  children.  They  are  formed  of  clay,  but  con- 
tain carbonate  of  hme  sufficient  to  indurate  them, 
and  sometimes  to  slack  when  burned.  The  other 
division  is  formed  by  organic  causes.  They  are 
almost  all  the  shapes  of  a  tubular,  flattened  ovoidal 
or  annulated  form,  and  almost  universally  have  a 
hole  through  them,  some  not  larger  than  a  fine 
needle,  others  of  the  size  of  the  finger  or  of  the  arm. 
They  are  formed  in  and  between  the  layers  of  clay, 
but  never,  it  is  believed,  below  the  depth  to  which 
the  roots  of  plants  penetrate.  They  seem  to  be 
formed  by  the  roots  of  plants  absorbing  the  water, 
and  perhaps  the  carbonic  acid  of  the  water  in  the 
earth,  and  rejecting  the  carbonate  of  lime  that  is 
held  in  solution  by  one  or  both.     This,  by  its  de- 

*  American  Journal  of  Science,  I.,  \y), 

+  The   Spook  Hole  is  a  small  cave  in  limestone  about  half  a  mile 

soutli-cast  of  Clinton  Point  and  so  to  70  rods  from  the  Hudson.     It  is 

'  said,<*  Jiave  Wmuch  carbonic  acid  gas  in  it  as  to  make  it  dangerous  to 

enter  with6(it  precaution.    When  visited  by  Prof.  Mather  lights  burned 

well.  ■ 


position,  remains  around  the  root  or  fibre,  and  in- 
durates the  clay.  The  localities  in  the  valleys 
of  the  Hudson  and  its  tributaries  are  so  numerous 
that  it  is  unnecessary  to  specify  more  than  a  few. 
Between  Lower  Red  Hook  and  Rhinebeck  land- 
ings, Prof.  Mather  saw  an  oak  tree  that  had  been 
uprooted  by  the  wind,  with  hundreds  of  these  an- 
nular, tubular,  and  discoidal  concretions  dangling 
from  its  smaller  roots  and  fibrous  rootlets.  They 
are  not  uncommon  about  Poughkeepsie,  Hyde 
Park,  Fishkill,  and  throughout  the  clay  formations 
of  the  Hudson  and  its  main  tributaries. 

Sulphate  of  lime  occurs  only  as  an  alluvion,  in- 
considerable in  quantity,  and  resulting  from  the 
decomposition  of  pyrites  in  contact  with  materials 
containing  calcareous  matter,  or  as  a  deposit  from 
mineral  springs.  Sulphate  of  alumina  occurs  as  an 
efflorescence,  and  in  tubercuiar  masses.  One  locality 
observed  is  on  the  mountain,  about  two  and  a  half 
miles  south-west  of  Araeniaville,  in  decomposing 
pyrites  and  dark  colored  mica  slate,  that  was  once 
supposed  to  contain  coal ;  another  is  about  three 
miles  south  of  the  same  village,  in  a  similar  rock. 
Another  locality  is  in  the  town  of  North  East.  Prof. 
Merrick  observed  a  locaHty  of  "  alum  slate,"  like 
that  of  Amenia,  near  the  top  of  the  hill  east  of 
Hurd's  Corners,  in  Pawling.  Muriate  of  lime 
occurs  in  almost  all  the  spring  waters  of  the  Hud- 
son valley,  and  particularly  in  those  that  issue  from 
the  clay  beds  of  the  tertiary  of  that  valley.  It  is 
the  principal  cause  of  the  "hardness  of  the  water," 
or  its  quality  of  decomposing  soap. 

Springs  are  caused  by  the  water  percolating 
downwards  from  the  surface  of  the  earth,  until  it 
meets  some  stratum  that  is  not  sufficiently  pervious 
to  permit  it  to  pass  through.  The  water  accumu- 
lates on  this  until  it  rises  to  such  a  level  as  to  find 
an  outlet.  Carbonic  acid  is  one  of  the  most  com- 
mon substances  in  mineral  waters.*  It  is  a  well 
established  chemical  fact  that  carbonates  are  solu- 
ble iff  an  excess  of  carbonic  acid.  As  spring  waters 
containing  carbonic  acid  flow  along  the  fissures  of 
limestone,  the  carbonic  acid  is  continually  exerting 
its  solvent  action  upon  the  rock,  and  transporting 
the  dissolved  carbonate  of  lime  to  distant  parts. 
This  offers  a  ready  and  satisfactory  explanation  of 
the  numerous  extensive  caverns  in  limestone  dis- 
tricts, to  which  they  are  almost  exclusively  con- 
fined. 

Chalybeate  springs  contain  carbonate  of  iron 
held  in  solution  by  carbonic  acid,  and  the  adjoin- 
ing valleys  and  marshes  into  which  such  springs 
flow,  always  contain  bog  iron  ore,  or  soil  stained  with 


MINERAL  SPRINGS— SUBTERRANEAN  STREAMS. 


93 


limonite,  unless  they  flow  into  a  stream  so  as  to 
prevent  a  deposition  of  the  ferruginous  matter. 
Near  Upton's  Pond  in  Stanford,  Prof.  Merrick 
examined  a  small  chalybeate  spring  from  which  an 
unusual  quantity  of  iron  ore  was  deposited.  A 
chalybeate  spring  is  said  to  flow  from  the  base  of 
Barker's  Mountain,  half  a  mile  north-west  of  KUne's 
Corners,  in  Amenia. 

A  small  sulphur  spring  flows  from  the  base  of 
the  mountain  one  and  one-fourth  miles  north- north- 
west of  Ameniaville,  on  the  Thomas  Ingraham 
place  ;  but  its  odor  was  so  slight  as  to  require  the 
water  to  be  taken  into  the  mouth  to  perceive  that 
it  was  sulphureted.  It  has  some  reputation  for 
the  cures  effected  by  it.  On  the  premises  of  Capt. 
Thomas  S.  Loyd,  near  South  Clinton  street,  in  the 
city  of  Poughkeepsie,  is  a  mineral  spring  which 
was  found  by  digging  about  thirty  feet  through  the 
rock.  Its  medicinal  qualities,  which  were  discov- 
ered by  accident,  have  been  known  to  a  few  per- 
sons for  several  years,  and  many  have  been  bene- 
fited by  it,  but  they  were  not  made  pubUc  until 
1877.  "The  water  is  transparent  and  brilliant, 
and  has  no  odor  or  taste.  It  is  aerated  to  an  un- 
common degree,  and  gases  held  in  solution  render 
it  delicious  and  refreshing."  A  gallon  of  this  water 
(231  cubic  inches)  contains  twenty-two  grains  of 
mineral  matter,  dried  at  212°  F.,  consisting  of  soda, 
lime,  magnesia,  siUcic  acid,  chlorine,  carbonic  acid 
and  sulphate  of  potash,  as  determined  by  Prof. 
Chandler,  of  Columbia  College.  It  has  received 
the  name  of  "  Crystal  Spring ;"  and  persons  suf- 
fering from  rheumatism,  dyspepsia,  kidney  diseases, 
etc.,  have  been  benefited  by  the  use  of  its  waters.* 

On  the  Isaac  Smith  farm,  a  mile  south-east  of 
Judge  Bockee's  in  North  East,  a  gas  spring  issues 
near  the  limestone,  on  the  great  axis  of  disturb- 
ance on  which  the  gaseous  and  thermal  springs  of 
the  eastern  counties  of  New  York  are  situated. 
Gas  is  said  to  bubble  up  through  the  fountain, 
which  never  freezes.  A  gas  spring  also  rises  in 
the  bed  of  a  small  stream  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  from  Ameniaville,  towards  Poughkeepsie, 
and  in  another  near  the  roadside,  where  the  ground 
was  covered  by  water,  the  constant  rise  of  bubbles 
of  gas  was  observed  for  some  time.  These  locali- 
ties were  in  the  valley  west  of  Amenia,  and  the 
gas  issued  from  the  gravel  beds  over  or  near  the 
junction  of  the  talcy  slate  with  the  limestone, 
and  between  the  Amenia  ore  beds  of  limonite  and 
those  at  a  place  called  the  Squabble-hole  ore 
beds. 


*Pmghkeepsie  TVefHj  EagU,  May  a5,  1877. 


There  are  several  subterranean  streams  in  the 
county.  Cold  Spring,  south-west  of  Stissing 
Mountain,  flows  from  the  base  of  a  Umestone  ridge, 
in  a  brook  large  enough  to  carry  a  mill,  and  is 
generally  reputed  to  be  the  subterranean  outlet  of 
a  small  lake  at  the  base  of  Mt.  Stissing,  which  has 
no  visible  outlet.  The  Clove  Spring  in  Union 
Vale,  which  is  supposed  to  discharge  from  twenty 
to  thirty  barrels  of  very  Hmpid  water  per  minute, 
is  another  instance.  Another  occurs  at  low  water 
mark  on  the  bank  of  the  Hudson,  a  half  or  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  north  of  Clinton  Point ;  another 
flows  from  the  side  of  the  post  road,  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  north  of  the  crossing  of  the  Casper  hill ; 
and  still  another  on  the  Judge  Bockee  farm  in 
North  East,  which  discharges  about  twenty  cubic 
feet  of  water  per  minute.  The  water  is  very  clear, 
and  uniform  in  temperature  throughout  the  year. 
In  Pine  Plains  are  several  large  springs.  Two  are 
located  on  the  Walter  Reynolds  farm,  about  three 
miles  east  of  Pine  Plains.  Both  are  in  fact  sub- 
terranean streams,  which  sink  into  the  earth  and 
re-appear.  The  large  stream  disappears  in  a  sink- 
hole, in  the  base  of  the  hill  on  the  north  side  of 
the  road  from  Pine  Plains  to  Pulver's  Corners, 
and  re-appears  as  a  large  spring  boiling  up  through 
sand  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south-west  of  the 
place  of  its  disappearance.  The  road  crosses  the 
subterranean  stream.  There  is  a  sink-hole  on  the 
line  between  these  places,  where  the  earth  sank  in 
some  years  ago.  Another  stream  vanishes  and  re- 
appears twice  south  of  the  above,  and  a  line  of 
sink-holes  indicates  the  line  of  the  subterranean 
stream. 

An  inflammable  gas,  very  pure,  rises  from  the 
bottom ,  of  a  small  lake  in  the  town  of  North 
East."^  At  the  mineral  springs  bored  for  McCul- 
loch's  brewery,  carburetted  hydrogen  is  evolved,  f 
Sulphate  of  iron  was  observed  in  small  quanti- 
ties efflorescing  on  mica  slate,  about  two  miles 
south-west  of  Ameniaville,  on  the  east  side  of  the 
mountain,  near  an  old  excavation  made  with  the 
expectation  of  finding  coal ;  also  four  miles  south 
of  Ameniaville,  at  the  south  side  of  Barker's  Moun- 
tain, on  mica  slate;  about  two  miles  south  of 
Poughkeepsie,  on  the  shore  of  the  Hudson,  where 
an  excavation  and  boring  had  been  made  in  search 
of  coal  in  the  black  shale  of  the  Hudson  River  - 
group  of  rocks.  At  all  these  locaUties  the  bisul- 
phuret  of  iron  was  disseminated  through  the 
rocks. 


•  A  ckerly.    Geology  of  the  Hudson.    Clevelana's  Mintralogy,  483. 
\Prof.  L.  C.  Beck.,  Neva  York  Geological  Report,  i8j8.  41. 


94 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Bog  ore  occurs  in  a  meadow  two  miles  west  o 
Pine   Plains;  at   Poughquaick  in  Beekman,  and 
other  places  in   the  county,  but  not  in  sufficient 
quantity  to  be  of  much  value. 

The  quaternary  deposits  embrace  the  clay,  sand 
and  gravel  beds  of  the  valleys  of  the  Hudson  and 
its  tributaries.  Some  boulders  and  drift  deposits 
overlie  this  formation ;  but  the  main  drift  deposit 
that  is  usually  called  diluvion,  erratic  block  group, 
boulder  system,  etc.,  underlies  it. 

A  belt  of  the  quarternary  formation,  mostly 
clay,  but  in  some  places  sand  and  gravel,  extends 
with  irregular  width  south  through  Red  Hook  and 
Rhinebeck.  Branches  or  arms,  like  bays,  of  this 
formation  are  found  in  the  valleys  of  all  the  streams 
which  cross  it.  It  is  interspersed  with  rotky 
islands.  Another  deposit  extends  from  Pine  Plains 
down  Wappinger  Creek,  and  up  some  of  its 
branches.  The  drainage  that  now  finds  its  outlet 
through  Ancram  Creek,  probably  flowed  in  former 
times  through  Wappinger  Creek.  Another  oc- 
cupies a  part  of  the  valley  of  Oblong  Creek  in 
North  East  and  Amenia;  another  forms  the  plains 
in  Dover  and  extends  south  up  the  valleys  of  the 
streams  that  flow  from  PawUng  into  Ten  Mile 
River.  Other  deposits  of  similar  character  occur 
on  Fishkill  Creek  and  its  tributaries,  in  Fishkill, 
East  Fishkill,  Beekman,  La  Grange  and  Union 
Vale  ;  on  Wappinger  Creek  and  its  tributaries,  in 
La  Grange,  Pleasant  Valley,  Washington  and  Clin- 
ton ;  and  perhaps  this  may  be  connected  with  the 
same  formation  about  Poughkeepsie  and  Hyde  Park, 
and  with  the  main  mass  of  the  quarternary  forma- 
tion that  was  described  as  terminating  in  the-  lower 
part  of  Rhinebeck.  A  small  patch  of  the  quarter- 
nary occurs  on  and  near  the  shore  of  the  Hudson, 
between  the  mouth  of  Fishkill  Creek  and  the  point 
of  Breakneck  Mountain.  The  sand  beds  of  this 
formation  in  this  part  of  the  Hudson  Valley  do 
not  cover  extensive  areas  with  loose  deep  sands 
that  drift,  or  make  the  traveling  over  them  tedious, 
like  the  sand  plains  of  Albany,  Schenectady  and 
Saratoga  counties  and  other  localities  north  and 
south.  The  clay  lands  of  the  same  formation  oc- 
cupy a  narrow  belt  near  the  Hudson  to  Fishkill. 
Where  the  sand  occurs  it  is  uniformly  above  the 
clay  beds,  and  generally  covers  the  plains  that 
divide  the  waters  of  the  creek  and  smaller  streams. 
The  brick  manufactures  of  the  Hudson  Valley,  to 
which  these  deposits  give  life,  are  a  most  important 
industry.  In  1843,  there  were  made  within  the 
coifnty  15,700,000  bricks;  at  present,  the  seven 
firms  at  Denning's   Point,   the   principal   seat  of 


manufacture,  produce  nearly  treble  that  quantity— 
44,500,000.  We  have  no  data  as  to  extent  of 
manufacture  elsewhere  in  the  county,  except  in 
Poughkeepsie,  which,  in  1843,  was  the  principal 
seat  of  manufacture,  (7,900,000)  while  at  present 
it  produces  from  two  yards,  the  only  ones  now 
engaged  in  the  business,  about  32,000  per  day. 

From  the  character  of  these  quarternary  deposits 
it  is  evident  that  a  vast  inland  sea  once  occupied 
the  basin  of  the  Hudson  valley,  since  the  period  of 
the  drift  deposits  ;  that  the  water  level  has  changed 
in  this  area,  and  as  the  ocean  maintains  its  equiUb- 
rium,  this  vast  tract  of  country  has  been  elevated 
in  mass  with  little  relative  change  in  height,  but  to 
an  absolute  height  of  300  to  1,000  feet  above  its 
former  level ;  and  that  this  elevation  has  probably 
been  effected  in  a  short  time,  and  caused  strong 
currents  to  flow  through  th%  channels  communicat- 
ing with  the  ocean,  and  through  which  the  waters 
have  been  drained  to  their  present  levels,  deposit- 
ing beds  of  sand,  gravel,  pebbles  and  boulders  in 
the  eddies. 

The  drift  deposits  of  the  Hudson  Valley  are 
found  lying  upon  the  naked  rocks  of  all  the  forma- 
tions that  are  consolidated.  They  are  covered  to 
a  greater  or  less  extent  in  the  large  valleys  by  dep- 
ositions of  clay,  gravel  and  sand,  up  to  a  certain 
level,  at  which  the  water  remained  for  a  considera- 
ble period.  The  drift  depositions  occupy  situations 
much  higher  in  absolute  level  than  the  quarternary, 
and  in  the  valleys  also  are  found  at  lower  levels. 
They  were  undoubtedly  transported  by  water,  and 
this  would  show  that  the  waters  occupied  a  higher 
level,  or  that  the  surface  was  relatively  less  elevated 
at  the  drift,  than  at  the  quarternary  period.  Thef 
are  composed  of  fragments  of  all  the  primary  rocks 
exposed  to  the  action  of  the  causes  that  contrib- 
uted to  their  transportation  and  deposition.  They 
are  mostly  coarse,  composed  of  blocks,  boulders, 
pebbles,  gravel  and  sand,  sometimes  loose,  but  fre- 
quently aggregated  by  argillaceous  matter. 

The  topographical  features  of  this  formation  are 
somewhat  peculiar.  In  this  vicinity,  where  it  is 
well  exposed  to  view,  it  is  very  hilly  and  irregular, 
and  is  composed  of  round-backed  hillocks  with 
bowl-shaped  cavities  or  valleys,  between  them. 
These  little  hillocks  are  entirely  composed  of 
boulders,  rounded  pebbles,  gravel  and  sand.  They 
may  be  seen  in  the  valley  that  extends  south  from 
Fishkill,  and  in  most  of  the  elevated  valleys 
through  which  currents  seem  to  have  flowed,  when 
the  water  was  elevated  some  hundred  feet  above 
its  present  level.     The  same  kind  of  diluvial  hill- 


BOULDERS  AND  ERRATIC  BLOCKS— SCRATCHED  ROCKS. 


95 


ocks  are  in  the  valley  of  Wappinger  Creek, 
between  FishkiU  and  Poughkeepsie  ;  in  the  valley 
between  Ameniaville  and  the  furnace  four  miles 
south ;  along  the  east  part  of  East  Fishkill,  near 
the  base  of  the  mountains,  near  Shenandoah  and 
Stormville.  It  is  only  when  the  drift  deposits  have 
a  considerable  thickness,  that  the  hilly  character  of 
the  drift  is  observed.  When  it  is  thin  it  does  not 
give  any  marked  character  to  the  country,  but 
serves  to  fill  up  the  irregularities  that  would  other- 
wise exist  upon  the  rocky  surface,  and  give  a 
smoother  outline. 

Boulders  and  erratic  blocks  are  rounded  masses 
of  rock  that  are  supposed  to  have  been  worn  to 
their  rounded  forms  by  attrition,  though  many  of 
the  large  rounded  masses  called  boulders,  have 
received  their  forms  by  the  atmospheric  causes 
producing  disintegration.  It  is  not  doubted,  how- 
ever, that  the  banks  of  rounded  masses  of  rock, 
pebbles  and  gravel  indicate  the  action  and  trans- 
porting power  of  water.  The  terms  by  which  they 
are  designated  imply  that  they  are  more  or  less 
removed  from  the  place  where  their  characteristics 
are  found  in  stiu.  They  are  loose  masses  spread 
over  or  embedded  in  the  soil,  and  frequently  they 
are' different  from  the  rocks  in  place  in  the  vicin- 
ity; but  it  is  observed,  as  a  general  rule,  that  the 
larger  masses  and  blocks  are  nearer  their  parent 
sources,  while  they  diminish  in  size  as  they  are 
more  remote  from  them.  They  are  scattered  not 
only  over  the  valleys,  plains  and  hills  of  moderate 
elevation,  but  are  found  on  the  peaks  of  high 
mountains. 

The  Fishkill  valley  contains  boulders  and  peb- 
bles of  all  the  varieties  of  the  Hudson  slate  rocks 
and  the  Taconic  series  that  occur  in  the  Hudson 
and  Champlain  valley  as  far  north  as  Whitehall. 
The  Potsdam  sandstone  is  the  hardest  of  these 
rocks,  except  quartz,  and  the  pebbles  of  these  two 
rocks  are  most  abundant.  The  Potsdam  sandstone 
pebbles  are  like  the  sandstone  of  Whitehall  and 
Fort  Ann,  and  the  quartz  is  mostly  like  that  in  veins 
in  the  slaty  rocks  in  Hillsdale,  Taconic,  Canaan, 
AusterUtz,  Chatham  and  New  Lebanon,  being 
generally  white  milky  quartz,  frequently  containing 
chlorite,  brown  spar,  and  sometimes  carbonate  of 
iron,  carbonate  of  lime,  and  quartz  crystals.  The 
brown  spar  is  frequently  decomposed,  leaving 
earthy  oxide  of  manganese  in  the  cavities.  The 
aspect  of  this  quartz,  together  with  the  association 
of  minerals,  is  so  peculiar  as  to  leave  no  doubt  of 
the  parent  source  of  these  pebbles.  In  the  vicinity  of 
Poughquaick  a  large  share  of  the  boulders  are  of 


limestone,  mixed  with  those  of  quartzose  gneiss. 
Many  of  the  limestone  boulders  are  vesicular,  from 
partial  disintegration.  After  crossing  Fishkill  Creek 
to  the  west  there  was  a  change  in  the  boulders  and 
pebbles.  The  limestone  boulders  are  darker  color- 
ed, more  siliceous,  and  are  evidently  from  a  differ- 
ent stratum.  The  quartz  boulders  are  also  darker 
and  more  abundant,  and  bear  a  strong  resem- 
blance to  those  found  in  the  vicinity  of  the  primi- 
tive argillite.  On  the  range  of  hills  between 
Fishkill  and  Sprout  Creeks,  in  La  Grange,  the 
boulders  are  of  those  rocks  peculiar  to  the  primi- 
tive argillite  region,  consisting  principally  of 
milky  and  brown  quartz,  with  chlorite  occasionally 
adhering. 

About  three-fourths  of  a  mile  north  of  Clinton 
Point,  near  the  shore  of  the  Hudson,  the  quarter- 
nary  yellow  and  blue  clays  occupy  a  small  valley. 
In  the  lower  part  of  the  blue  clay,  pebbles  and 
boulders  of  quartz  and  of  grit  rock  of  the  Hudson 
slate  series  are  imbedded,  and  they  seem  to  have 
been  deposited  while  the  clay  was  also  being  de- 
posited ;  the  boulders  and  pebbles  are  in  many  in- 
stances smooth  and  scratched.  On  the  mountains 
between  Hurd's  Corners,  in  Pawling,  and  Beekman, 
which  are  mostly  mica  slate  and  gneiss.  Prof.  Cas- 
sels  observed  a  great  number  of  granite  boulders  ; 
also  on  the  east  side  of  the  Dover  and  Croton  val- 
leys in  Pawling.  In  Stanford,  south  of  Mt.  Stissing, 
are  numerous  boulders  of  granite  and  gneissoid 
rocks,  like  those  of  that  mountain ;  also  a  hard 
sihceous  rock-like  granular  quartz,  which  is  iden- 
tical with  a  similar  rock  at  the  south  end  of 
the  mountain  overlying  the  primary  rocks,  and 
underlying  the  limestone  of  the  valley  of  Wap- 
pinger Creek.  This  siliceous  rock  is  believed 
to  be  the  same  as  the  Potsdam  sandstone  of  Prof. 
Emmons. 

Numerous  examples  of  smooth  and  scratched 
surfaces  of  rocks,  some  of  them  very  distinct,  were 
observed  in  various  parts  of  the  county.  These 
phenomena  indicate  that,  at  some  former  time,  the 
county,  to  the  tops  of  the  high  mountains,  was  cov- 
ered with  water,  and  that  strong  currents  flowed 
through  the  Hudson  valley.  It  is  probable  that 
the  summits  of  the  highlands  in  the  eastern  and 
southern  portions  of  the  county  were  then  the  only 
parts  of  it  that  protruded  from  the  wide  extent 
of  waters,  and  in  the  form  of  small  detached 
islands.*  _^_ 

*  We  are  mainly  indebted  for  the  materials  of  this  chapter  to  Prof.  Will- 
iam W.  Mather's  Ji<:^i!ri  on  the  Geoloiy  0/ the  First  Geological  DU- 
tricto/tfew  York. 


96 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Internal  Improvements — Routes  by  which  the 
Pioneers  Reached  their  Wilderness  Homes 
— Navigable  Streams  the  Public  Highways — 
Indian  Trails — Early  Roads — Early  Exper- 
iments IN  Steam  Navigation  at  De  Koven's 
Bay — Early  Railroad  Enterprises  in  Duch- 
ess County — Duchess  Railroad  Co. — Pough- 
KEEPSiE  &  Eastern  Railroad  Co. — Pough- 
keepsie,  Hartford  &  Boston  Railroad  Co. — 
Duchess  &  Columbia  Railroad  Co. — New- 
burgh,  Duchess  &  Connecticut  Railroad 
Co. — Hudson  River  Railroad  Co.  —  New 
York  &  Harlem  Railroad  Co.  —  Boston, 
Hartford  &  Erie  Extension  Railroad  Co. — 
New  York  &  New  England  Railroad  Co. — 
Other  Railroad  Projects  —  Clove  Branch 
Railroad  Co. —  Rhinebeck  &  Connecticut 
Railroad  Co. — Projected  and  Abandoned 
Enterprises — The  Poughkeepsie  Bridge  Co. 

WE  have  given  some  attention  in  a  pre- 
vious chapter  to  the  subject  of  pioneer 
settlements;  in  this  we  purpose  considering  the 
means  by  which  the  pioneer  reached  his  home  in 
the  wilderness,  and  the  projects  of  internal  im- 
provement which  subsequently  engaged  his  atten- 
tion. As  we  have  seen,  the  first  settlers  came  by 
way  of  the  Hudson,  near  which  the  first  settlements 
were  begun.  Settlements  slowly  progressed  in  the 
interior,  along  the  streams,  which  were  the  first, 
and,  for  some  years,  almost  the  only  highways  in 
the  county.  Gradually  they  diverged  from  these 
into  forests,  unbroken,  except  by  the  small  rude 
clearings  made  by  the  -  Indians,  following  the 
well-worn  trails  left  by  the  latter,  and  from  these 
branched  off  into  routes  indicated  by  blazed  trees, 
which  were  the  forest  guide  boards,  and  by  their 
aid  the  forests  were  traversed  from  one  locality 
to  another.  But  these  human  denizens  could  not 
prosper  in  their  isolated  settlements;  they  must 
needs  open  communication  with  each  other  and  to 
points  affording  amarket  for  their  surplus  products; 
to  this  end  roads  were  indispensable  and  of  the  first 
importance. 

In  1 73 1,  the  number  of  inhabitants  had  increased 
so  that  an  order  was  made  by  the  Justices  of  the 
county  to  lay  out  a  road  to  Dover,  and  employ 
freeholders  to  assess  damages  for  property  taken, 
etc.,  the  object  being  to  enable  the  people  "to 
come  down  to  the  market  or  common  landing  at 
Pgughkeepsie."*    In  1738,  the  Assembly  passed 

*  Poughkeepsie  Weekly  Eagle,  July  8,  1876. 


"an  act  for  the  better  clearing  and  further  laying 
into  public  high  roads  in  Duchess  County.",    Sau- 
thier's  map,  published  in  1779,  shows  a  principal 
road  extending  through  the   towns  bordering  the 
Hudson,   known   as   the   post-road,  with   several 
others   branching  from  it,  one  at  its  intersection 
with  Crom  Elbow  Creek,  extending  thence  north 
through   Rhinebeck    and   Red    Hook    to   Tivoli 
(Hoffman's  Ferry,)  and  having  three  branches  ex- 
tending northerly  and  north-easterly  into  Living- 
ston Manor ;  a  second,  extending  from  Rhinecliff, 
(Kip's  Ferry,)   easterly  to  Thompson's   Pond;   a 
third,    north-easterly  from  Fishkill   to  Verplank's 
mill,  on  Sprout  Creek ;  and  a  fourth,  south-easterly 
from  Fishkill,  through  Putnam  County,  to  Danbury 
in  Connecticut.    Two  roads  entered  the  county  on 
the  east  from  Sharon,  one  extending  westerly  to  the 
central  part  of  the  Great  Nine  Partners'  Tract,  and 
the  other  south-westerly  across  the  Oblong,  termi- 
nating below  Dover.    Another  road  intersected  that  * 
extending  from   Rhinecliff  to  Thompson's   Pond 
near  the  intersection  of  Clinton,  Milan  a:nd  Rhine- 
beck, and  extended  south-easterly  through  Clinton, 
Washington  and  Dover,  crossing  the  Oblong  road, 
apparently,  near  Dover  Plains,  and  thence  to  New 
Fairfield  and  Danbury  in  Connecticut.    A  map  ac- 
companying  Anburefs    Travels,   in  1777,  shows 
only  one  road,  (which,  however,  is  not  indicated 
on  Sauthier's   map.)     It  enters   the  county  from 
Sharon,  and  passes  south-westerly  through  "Nine 
Partners,"  Hopewell  and  Fishkill,  crossing  the  Hud- 
son to  "  Newberry,"  (Newburgh.)    The  map  accom- 
panying DeCkastellux's  Travels,  1 780-1 782,  shows 
the  same  road ;  but  what  is  called  "Nine  Partners" 
on  the  former,  is  designated  "Neventsorp"  on  the 
latter,  which  also  shows  the  post-road  running  par- 
allel with  the  Hudson.    The  road  indicated  on  the 
latter  maps  is  the  one  pursued  by  the  British  army 
under  Burgoyne  after  the  Convention  at  Saratoga, 
to  Charlottesville  in  Virginia.     But  we  need  not 
multiply  details  in  regard  to  these  common  high- 
ways ;  suflSce  it  to  say  that  they  multiplied  accord- 
ing to  the  needs  of  the  people. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  one  of  the  first  ex- 
periments in  steam  navigation  was  made  within  the 
waters  of  this  county — at  DeKoven's  Bay,  just  below 
Tivoli— by  Chancellor  Robert  R.  Livingston  and 
an  Englishman  named  Nesbit,  the  latter  of  whom 
was  employed  by  Livingston  to  build  a  steamboat 
at  that  place,  in  1797,  from  plans. furnished  by  Liv- 
ingston. The  project  was  unsuccessful,  but  the 
effort  was  renewed,  and  ultimate  success  achieved 
through  the  liberality,  perseverance  and  intelligent 


THE  FIRST  SUCCESSFUL  STEAMBOAT. 


97 


energy  of  Livingston,  combined  with  the  genius  of 
Robert  Fulton,  whose  acquaintance  he  made  in 
Paris,  while  serving  as  ambassador  to  the  French 
Court.  In  August,  1807,  the  "  Clermont;'  named 
from  Chancellor  Livingston's  home  on  the  Hud- 
son, but  called  by  the  incredulous  populace  "  Ful- 
ton's Folly,"  the  first  successful  steamboat,  with  its 
quaint  wooden  boiler,  was  launched  at  New  York, 
and  on  the  7th  of  September  following  set  out  on 
her  first  trial  trip  to  Albany.  The  distance  of  150 
miles  was  accomplished  in  thirty-two  hours.  The 
following  advertisement  appeafed  in  the  Albany 
Gazette  of  September  2,  1807  : — 

"The  North  River  Steamboat  will  leave  Pauler's 
Hook,  [now  Jersey  City,]  on  Friday,  the  4th  day 
of  September,  at  9  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
arrive  at  Albany  on  Saturday  at  9  in  the  evening. 
Provisions,  good  berths,  and  accommodations  are 
provided.  The  charge  for  each  passenger*  will  be 
as  follows  : — 
•      "To   Newburgh,        14    Hours,       Fare,    $3. 

"     Poughkeepsie,   17       "  "        4. 

"     Esopus,  20       "  "        5. 

"     Hudson,  30       "  "         i\. 

"     Albany,  36       "  "        7." 

Early  in  the  history  of  railroad  enterprises  the 
project  of  a  railroad  from  Poughkeepsie  to  the  rich 
and  thriving  regions  of  the  Eastern  States  was  agi- 
tated, but  not  until  1872  were  the  hopes  then  ex- 
pressed fully  realized.  Some  years  before  the  first 
railroad  in  America  was  built,  at  Quincy,  Mass.,  in 
1826,  in  which  year  the  first  railroad  company  was 
chartered  in  this  State,  though  the  road  was  not 
in  operation  till  1831,  a  letter  appeared  in  the 
Poughkeepsie  Journal  and  another  in  the  Tele- 
graph, proposing  a  road  from  Poughkeepsie  to 
Sharon,  but  the  people  of  that  day  thought  a  canal 
from  Amenia  to  Hudson  River  would  furnish  bet- 
ter and  more  speedy  means  of  communication,  and 
a  charter  for  such  canal  was  obtained.  In  the 
discussion  of  the  relative  merits  of  the  two  projects, 
however,  nothing  was  done.  March  28,  1832,  the 
Duchess  Railroad  Co.,  of  which  William  Davies  and 
his  associates  were  incorporators,  was  chartered  to 
construct  a  railroad  from  Poughkeepsie  to  the 
Connecticut  State  line.  William  Davies,  Henry 
ConkUn,  Paraclete  Potter,  Homer  Wheaton  and 
Morgan  Carpenter  were  appointed  commissioners 
to  receive  subscriptions.  The  capital  was  fixed  at 
$600,000.  No  action  was  taken  under  this  char- 
ter, except  that  the  project  excited  considerable 
discussion,  and  the  route  was  surveyed,  also  a 
route  to  the  State  line  in  North  East,  Henry  Whin- 
field  and  William  Dewey  being  the  engineers.  May 

*Clarksotfs  Clermont  or  Livitigston  Manor,  113-138, 


2Si  1836,  the  company  was  rechartered  under  the 
same  title,  and  a  capital  of  $1,000,000,  but  with 
greater  latitude  in  the  location  of  the  route,  which 
might  extend  from  Poughkeepsie  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts or  Connecticut  State  line.  Gideon  P. 
Hewett,  James  Grant,  Jr.,  Homer  Wheaton, 
Peter  P.  Hayes,  Isaac  Merritt,  Abijah  S.  Hatch, 
John  D.  Robinson,  Thomas  WilUams,  Jacob 
Van  Benthuysen,  Matthew  Vassar,  Samuel  B. 
Dutton,  George  P.  Oakley  and  Henry  Conklin 
were  named  commissioners  to  receive  subscrip- 
tions. Beyond  the  surveying  of  routes  east  to 
Amenia  and  through  Pine  Plains  and  North  East 
nothing  was  done  under  this  charter,  and  the  mat- 
ter was  allowed  to  sleep  till  1855,  when  a  meeting 
was  called  at  Washington  Hollow  of  all  who  were 
in  favor  of  a  road  from  the  east  part  of  the  county 
to  the  Hudson.  Quite  a  number  were  present 
from  the  central  part  of  the  county,  and  a  few  from 
Poughkeepsie,  but  during  the  meeting  the  ques- 
tion was  agitated,  as  it  was  subsequently,  whether 
the  terminus  should  be  Poughkeepsie  or  Fishkill. 
The  advocates  of  the  latter  terminus  were  in  the 
majority  and  voted  accordingly,  whereupon  the 
Poughkeepsie  people  withdrew  from  the  enterprise, 
and  it  was  dropped  for  ten  years. 

The  idea  of  a  railroad,  however,  was  not  lost  sight 
of,  and  renewed  agitation  resulted  in  the  construc- 
tion of  a  road  from  each  place.  Isaac  Piatt,  the 
senior  editor  of  the  Poughkeepsie  Eagle  was  always 
a  strong  advocate  of  the  Poughkeepsie  route.  He 
wrote  in  favor  of  it  from  1826,  and  took  occasion 
whenever  opportunity  offered  to  publish  articles  on 
the  subject.  Among  these  was  a  series  of  com- 
munications from  the  civil  engineer,  then  residing 
at  Poughkeepsie,  whose  statements  attracted  con- 
siderable attention,  and  new  movements  were  pro- 
posed. The  breaking  out  of  the  war  in  1861, 
again  put  a  stop  to  all  operations,  but  some  time 
in  1863,  they  were  resumed,  and  the  people  began 
to  feel  something  like  a  general  interest  in  them. 
In  the  spring  of  1865,  there  was  quite  an  arousing 
on  the  subject.  Another  meeting  was  held  at 
Washington  Hollow,  and  hostility  to  Poughkeepsie 
again  appeared.  It  was  then  that  the  representa- 
tives of  Poughkeepsie  resolved  to  abandon  all 
action  in  that  direction  and  act  independently. 
A  meeting  was  then  called  at  Salt  Point,  which 
was  adjourned  for  a  more  general  one  at  Bangall. 
This  latter  meeting  was  largely  attended,  an  organ- 
ization under  the  general  railroad  law  was  formed, 
and  it  was  resolved  to  have  the  requisite  surveys 
made  for  the  road,  which  was   to   be  built  from 


98 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Poughkeepsie,   via    Pine    Plains    to    Ancram  or 
Copake,  and  thence  to  the  Connecticut  line.     The 
survey  was   made   by  P.  P.    Dickinson,  who  re- 
ported February  15,  1866,  the  estin:iated   cost  of 
the    road     and     equipments     at    $1,002,206.80. 
April    15,    1866,   the    Poughkeepsie    &   Eastern 
Railroad  Co.  was  incorporated,  with  a  capital  of 
$1,000,000,  to  construct  a  road  over  the   above 
route,  with  a  branch  at  or  near  Salt  Point  to  the 
Harlem  road  at  Wassaic.   The  first  directors  were  : 
George  Innis,  Isaac  Piatt,  James  G.  Wood,  George 
Morgan,  Harvey  G.  Eastman  and  Robert  F.  Wilk- 
inson,   Poughkeepsie;    Pomeroy    P.    Dickinson, 
Birdsall  Cornell  and  William  Cor  win,  New  York; 
William  Eno,  Pine  Plains  ;  Piatt  G.  Van  VUet  and 
Stephen  T.  Angell,    Pleasant  Valley;  James  M. 
Welling,    Washington;     Elihu   Griffin,    Clinton; 
Isaac   Carpenter,  Stanford ;  George  Peasley  and 
Conrad  Niver,  Ancram.     The  first  meeting  of  the 
directors  was  held  at  the  office  of  the  company  in 
Poughkeepsie,  April  28,    i856,  and  the  following 
named  officers  were   chosen  :     President,  George 
Innis  ;  Vice-President,  George    Morgan ;    Treas- 
urer, Isaac  G.  Sands ;  Secretary,  Robert  F.  Wilk- 
inson ;  Attorney,  Mark  D.  Wilber ;  Chief  Engineer, 
P.  P.  Dickinson.     George  Morgan,  H.   G.   East- 
man, James  G.  Wood,  Birdsall  Cornell,  Piatt  G. 
Van  Vliet,  William  Eno  and  Conrad  Niver  were 
constituted  an  Executive  Committee,  with  authority 
to  employ  agents  in  the  city  and  towns  to  obtain 
subscriptions  to  stock. 

Meantime  the  opposition  project  of  a  railroad 
to  Fishkill  was  revived,  with  greater  force,  and, 
receiving  a  powerful  ally  in  the  person  of  George 
H.  Broivn,  of  Washington,  made  rapid  progress. 
Some  of  the  Poughkeepsie  people  were  in  favor  of 
a  road  more  directly  east  from  Amenia  instead  of 
the  route  to  Pine  Plains,  and  this  idea  was  fostered 
as  much  as  possible  by  the  friends  of  the  Fishkill 
road.  At  the  same  time  a  violent  opposition  dis- 
played itself  among  the  largest  property  holders 
and  prominent  men  in  Poughkeepsie,  and  but  for 
George  Innis,  President  of  the  Fallkill  Bank,  the 
untiring  energy  of  Mark  D.  Wilber,  and  the  con- 
tinued efforts  of  the  Eagle,  it  is  doubtful  if  the 
enterprise  would  not  have  dropped  again,  a* it  did 
on  previous  occasions.  In  October,  1866,  a  series 
of  meetings  was  held  in  the  interest  of  the  Pough- 
keepsie &  Eastern  Railroad  at  Washington  Hol- 
low, Bangall  and  Pine  Plains,  and  addresses  were 
made  by  P.  P.  Dickinson,  George  Innis,  Mark  D. 
Wilber,  H.  G.  Eastman,  Isaac  Piatt  and  others. 
Subscriptions  to  the  stock  of  the  company  were 


opened.  It  was  proposed  to  raise  $300,000  in 
this  way  before  starting  to  build  the  road,  but  it 
was  found  that  very  little  aid  could  be  expected 
from  the  country,  as  the  towns  on  which  most  de- 
pendence had  been  placed  had  become  interested 
in  the  Fishkill  road.  After  a  long  effort,  mainly 
by  a  few  men,  at  the  head  of  whom  Mr.  Wilber 
continued  to  be  most  active  and  persistent,  the 
subscription  was  given  up,  and  it  was  decided  in- 
stead to  bond  the  city  for  $200,000  and  obtain  in- 
dividual subscriptions  for  $100,000. 

By  great  labor  and   persistency,  mainly  through 
the  persevering   efforts  of  Mark    D.    Wilber,  the 
project  of  bonding  the  city  proved  successful;  and 
April  I,  1869,  a  small  number  of  men  proceeded 
to  a  point  on  the  farm  of  John  A.  Van  Wagner, 
just  north  of  the  crossing  of  the  Salt  Point  turn- 
pike, near   the   bank   of  the    Fallkill,  and  there, 
without  special  ceremony,  ground  was  broken  for 
the  Poughkeepsie  &  Eastern  Railroad.     In  1870, 
15.26  miles   of  road   were   built;  in   1871,  5.57 
miles;  and  in  1872,  21.02  miles.     Jan.   24,   1871, 
the   opening   of  the   first   division   of  twenty-one 
miles,  from  Poughkeepsie   to  Stissing,   was   cele- 
brated by  an  excursion  over  that  portion   of  the 
road.     In  the  fall  of  1872,  the  road  was  completed 
to  the  Connecticut  line,  and  Oct.  i,   1872,  trains 
commenced  running  regularly  from  Poughkeepsie 
to   that   point,   a  distance   of    forty-three    miles. 
There  then  remained  to  be  built  the  division  be- 
tween Smith  street  in  Poughkeepsie  and  the  Hud- 
son River,  the  grading  on  which  was  pretty  much 
done,  and  the  laying  of  the  rails  commenced.    The 
road  is  44.88  miles  long.     It  follows  the  line  of  the 
Fallkill,  and  thence  crosses  to  the  valley  of  Wap^ 
pinger  Creek,  up  which  it  continues  to  the  north 
line  of  the  county,  thence  passes  east  around  the 
north  end  of  the  range   of  hills  that  enclose  the 
Harlem  Railroad,  and  reaches  the*  State  line   at 
the   terminus   of  the  Connecticut   Western  Rail- 
road;' near  Millerton.     It  touches  the   Duchess  & 
Columbia  (now  Newburgh,  Duchess  &  Connecti- 
cut,) at  Stissing,  and  crosses  the  Harlem  at  Boston 
Corners. 

The  stations  and  their  distances  on  this  road 
from  Poughkeepsie  in  miles  are  as  follows : 
Van  Wagner's,  3.79;  Pleasant  Valley,  6.04;  Rus- 
sell's, 8.02;  Salt  Point,  10.64;  Clinton  Corners, 
13-13  J  Willow  Brook,  15.72;  Stanfordville, 
17-71;  Mclntyre,  19.73;  Stissing,  21.02;  Pine 
Plains,  26.55;  Ancram  Lead  Mines,  30.59; 
Halstead's,  32.31;  Tanner's,  34.28;  Boston 
Corners,    37.01;    Mt.    Riga,    40.87;   C.    W.   R. 


RAILROAD  ENTERPRISES. 


99 


R.  Junction,  43.09 ;  Millerton,  44.88.  The  total 
cost  of  road  and  equipment  to  1879,  was  $1,499,- 
920.40.  The  rate  of  fare  charged  for  first-class 
through  passengers  is  3.02  cents  and  for  first-class 
way  passengers,  4  cents  per  mile. 

July  I,  1870,  the  company  executed  and  deliv- 
ered to  James  Winslow  as  trustee  a  mortgage  on 
its  road  and  appurtenances.  Jan.  30,  1875,  the 
Supreme  Court  decreed  the  foreclosure  of  the  first 
mortgage  bonds  on  the  road,  which  were  sold 
April  14,  1875,  3.nd  deeded  May  15,  1875,  to 
George  P.  Pelton,  of  Poughkeepsie,  who  organized, 
the  latter  date,  the  Poughkeepsie,  Hartford  & 
Boston  R.  R.  Co.,  with  a  capital  of  $850,000, 
and  associated  with  himself  the  following  persons 
as  directors :  E.  L.  BoUes,  of  New  York  City,  and 
George  Innis,  John  F.  Winslow,  George  R.  Gay- 
lord,  Edward  L.  Beadle,  Alanson  Swain,  John  O. 
Whitehouse  and  Michael  J.  Myers,  of  Pough- 
keepsie.* 

While  the  friends  of  the  Poughkeepsie  &  East- 
ern were  laboring  to  advance  the  interests  of  that 
road,  even  greater  activity  was  manifested  by  those 
favoring  the  Fishkill  road ;  and  in  1865,  before 
either  road  was  chartered,  a  section  of  four  and 
one-half  miles,  from  Boston  Corners  towards  Pine 
Plains,  had  been  completed  and  put  in  running 
order  at  a  cost  of  less  than  $20,000  per  mile.  The 
survey  was  completed  and  arrangements  made  to 
build  the  road  to  Pine  Plains.  Arrangements  had 
also  been  made  to  continue  the  survey  to  Stan- 
fordville,  and  negotiations  were  pending  for  the 
construction  of  the  road  to  that  point  the  following 
summer.  There  it  was  proposed  to  stop  until  a 
determination  was  reached  as  to  whether  the  road 
should  terminate  at  Poughkeepsie  or  Fishkill.j 

A  meeting  was  held  at  Verbank,  Dec.  5,  1865, 
to  make  arrangements  for  having  a  survey  for  a 
railroad  from  Boston  Corners  to  Fishkill  land- 
ing. Between  200  and  300  people  assembled  and 
organized  by  electing  the  following  officers  :  Presi- 
dent, Leonard  B.  Sherman;  Vice  Presidents, 
Abm.  Storms,  George  H.  Brown,  Col.  John 
Thompson,  Jeremiah  Emigh,  Clark  C.  Barmour, 
William  Eno,  Daniel  P.  Wheeler;  Secretaries, 
Samuel  Thorn  and  George  Potter.  Alonzo  Davis, 
Henry  Bostwick,  Mark  N.  Wheeler,  Clark  C.  Bar- 
mour and  Daniel  P.  Wheeler  were  appointed  to  re- 
ceive subscriptions  for  the  survey  of  the  three  routes 
proposed  to  reach  Verbank  ;  one  by  Stanford  and 

*  We  are  indebted  to  the  files  of  the  Poughkeepsie  Eagle  ;  the  State 
Engineer's  Rejiort  on  Railroads,  1879;  and  other  documents,  for  data 
respecting  these  early  railroad  enterprises. 

t  Poughkeepsie  Eagle,  Nov.  iS,  1865. 


Washington  Hollow;  one  by  Bangall,  Hart's 
village  and  Four  Corners  ;  and  one  by  Thompson's 
Pond,  Mabbettsville  and  Little  Rest.  The  follow- 
ing were  appointed  to  receive,  conduct  and  enter- 
tain the  corps  of  engineers  in  surveying  through 
their  respective  towns  :  La  Grange,  A.  W.  Storms, 
Mark  H.  Wheeler,  James  Townsend  ;  Union  Vale, 
Leonard  B.  Sherman,  Elias  N.  Vail,  Henry  Bost- 
wick ;  Fishkill,  Ward  Emigh,  Laurence  Rapelyea, 
Van  Wyck  BrinkerhofF;  Pleasant  Valley,  D.  P. 
Wheeler,  Capt.  Pond,  Henry  Sutherland;  Wash- 
ington, Dr.  John  S.  Thorne,  Hugh  B.  Howard, 
Timothy  Preston;  Stanford,  Leonard  Carman, 
Col.  John  Thompson,  Smith  B.  Tompkins. 

A  meeting  of  persons  in  central  Duchess  and 
Columbia  counties  interested  in  the  construction 
of  the  proposed  railroad  from  Fishkill  to  Boston 
Corners,  was  held  at  Millbrook  chapel,  in  the  town 
of  Washington,  April  26,  1866.  The  committee 
appointed  at  a  previous  meeting  to  procure  a  sur- 
vey of  the  routes  reported  that  a  survey  had  been 
made  under  their  direction,  by  P.  P.  Dickinson  and 
his  corps  of  engineers,  and  that  the  estimates  for 
construction  varied  from  $1,000,030  to  $1,000,- 
076,  according  to  which  route  was  adopted.  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  prepare  articles  of  as- 
sociation and  other  papers  necessary  to  complete 
an  organization  for  the  construction  of  the  road, 
with  power  to  adopt  a  suitable  name.  The  survey 
committee  were  instructed  to  employ  a  new  corps 
of  engineers  to  examine  the  routes  as  surveyed  for 
the  purpose  of  verifying  the  estimates  of  the  for- 
mer engineers,  and  ascertaining  if  any  advantageous 
alterations  could  be  made.  WiUiam  Eno  was 
added  to  that  committee. 

An  organization  was  effected  that  year  (1866) 
under  the  name  of  the  Duchess  &  Columbia  Rail- 
road Co.,  and  articles  for  an  eastern  branch,  sixteen 
miles  long,  were  filed  Oct.  11,1867.  Forty-three 
miles  of  road  were  completed  and  opened  to  public 
travel  in  1869,  and  an  additional  fifteen  miles,  in 
1871.  The  road  extends  from  Duchess  Junction 
on  the  Hudson  River  road  in  Fishkill,  through  the 
towns  of  Fishkill,  East  Fishkill,  La  Grange,  the 
north-west  corner  of  Union  Vale,  Washington, 
Stanford,  Pine  Plains  and  North  East,  to  Miller- 
ton,  where  it  connects  with  the  Harlem  road.  Its 
total  length  is  58.58  miles.  The  cost  of  road  and 
equipment  to  1879,  "^^s  $2,258,342.29.  In  1873, 
the  road  was  consolidated  with  the  New  York, 
Boston  &  Northern  Railroad.  August  5,  1876,  it 
was  sold  under  foreclosure  of  mortgage.  J.  N. 
Whiting,  of  New  York  City,  purchased  the  road. 


100 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


with  the  exception  of  a  small  sectioiij  in  the  inter- 
est of  the  first  mortgage  bondholders,  paying  there- 
for $297,500.  J.  P.  Lowry,  also  of  New  York 
City,  purchased  the  balance,  the  right  of  way  to 
the  river,  for  the  third  and  fourth  mortgage  bond- 
holders, for  $40,000.  These  purchases  did  not 
include  the  rolMng  stock,  which  was  the  property 
of  the  Brown  family.  A  reorganization  was  effect- 
ed and  chartered  under  the  name  of  the  Newburgh, 
Duchess  &  Connecticut  Railroad  Co.,  Jan.  15, 
1877,  with  the  following  directors  :  John  N.  Whit- 
ing, John  S.  Schultze  and  Samuel  Thorn,  of  New 
York  City ;  William  Schultze,  of  Manchester,  N. 
J. ;  Joseph  Howland,  of  Matteawan ;  R.  G.  Coffin, 
of  Washington  ;  W.  S.  Eno  and  W.  W.  Sayre,  of 
Pine  Plains  ;  Albert  Emans,  La  Grange  ;  Wm.  A. 
Reid  and  Oliver  Davidson,  Silver  Lake ;  John  S. 
Emans,  East  Fishkill. 

The  stations  and  distances  on  this  road  in  miles 
from  Duchess  Junction  are:  Matteawan,  1.8; 
Groveville,  — ;  Glenham,  3.8;  Fishkill,  5.92; 
BrinckerhofT,  7.07  ;  Hopewell,  12.11  ;  Clove 
Branch  Junction,  13.37  i  Arthursburgh,  15.70  ; 
La  Grange,  17.33  ;  Billings,  18.8;  Mooers,  21,34; 
Verbank,  25.33;  Coffins,  28.17;  MiUbrook, 
30.19;  Shunpike,  33.49;  Bangall,  37.03;  Stis- 
sing  Junction,  39.84;  Attlebury,  41.2  ;  Pine  Plains 
Junction,  44.27;  Pine  Plains,  44.62;  Bethel, 
46.7  ;  Shekomeko,  49.82  ;  Husted,  52.45  ;  Win- 
chels,  54.08 ;  Harlem  R.  R.  Crossing,  58.08 ;  Mil- 
lerton,  58.58.  The  rate  of  fare  for  through  pas- 
sengers is  2.63,  and  for  way  passengers,  3  cents 
per  mile. 

While  these  railroad  projects  engaged  the  atten- 
tion of  the  people  of  Duchess,  two  others  of  greater 
importance,  and  one  of  them  of  scarcely  less  local 
interest,  were  earher  pushed  to  completion— the 
Hudson  River  and  New  York  &  Harlem  rail- 
roads—the latter  of  which  is  said  to  have  doubled 
the  value  of  the  eastern  towns  in  this  county,  and 
the  former  to  have  more  than  doubled  the  value  of 
the  western  towns,  while  the  interior  towns  scarcely 
increased  a  dollar  during  the  same  period.*  Both 
were  in  process  of  construction  and  were  com- 
pleted through  the  county  at  nearly  the  same 
time. 

The  scheme  of  a  railroad  running  along  the  east 
bank  of  the  Hudson  originated  in  and  was  advo- 
cated by  the  prominent  citizens  of  Poughkeepsie— 
most  conspicuous  among  whom  were  Matthew 
Vassar,  D.  B.  Lent  and  A.  J.  Coffin-until  the 
capitalists  of  New  York  and  other  places  were  con- 

*P(mihieefsU  Eagle,  Nov.  iS,  l86;.  '  " 


vinced  of  its  feasibility,  its  safe  investment,  and  its 
great  practical  worth  as  a  connecting  link  with  the 
commercial  channels  of  the  North  and  West.    The 
first  survey  of  the  road  was  paid  for  by  Poughkeep- 
sians;  and  it  was  through  their  influence  that  a 
charter  was  obtained  May  12,    1846.     The  con- 
struction of  the  road  was  commenced  in  1847,  and 
seventy-five  miles  were  completed  in  1849,  which 
year  it  was  in  part  first  opened  to  the  public.     It 
was  opened  to  Peekskill,  from  New  York,  Sept.  29, 
1849  ;  to  New  Hamburgh,  Dec.  6,   1849  ;  and  to 
Poughkeepsie,  Dec.  3 1, 1849.  The  road  was  rapidly 
completed,  and  the  northern  section  was  opened 
from  Albany  to  Hudson,  June  16,  1851 ;  to  Tivolij 
Aug.  4,   1851;  and  through  its  entire  length,  from 
New  York  to  Albany,    a  distance  of  143^  miles, 
Oct.  I,  1851.     It  has  3,018  feet  of  tunnels,  varying 
from  60  to  835  feet,  one  of  which  is  through  sohd 
rock  just  above  New  Hamburgh  in  this  county. 
Nov.  I,  1869,  it  was  consolidated  with  the  New 
York  Central  Railroad,  under  the  name  of  New 
York  Central  &  Hudson  River  Railroad.     The 
second  track  of  this  road  (the  Hudson  River,)  was 
laid  in  1863-64. 

The  stations  within  this  county  upon  this  line  of 
road  and  their  distance  in  miles  from  30th  street, 
New  York,  are:  Duchess  Junction,  57.16;  Fish- 
kill, 58.85;  Low  Point,  62.38;  New  Hamburgh, 
64.95  ;  Milton  Ferry,  69.41  ;  Poughkeepsie,  73.3; 
Hyde  Park,  79.01  ;  Staatsburgh,  83.42  ;  Rhine- 
beck,  88.75;  Barrytown,  94.35  ;  Tivoli,  98.59;  the 
latter  being  43.54  miles  from  Albany. 

The  project  of  the  road  was  emphatically  a 
child  of  Poughkeepsie,  and  hence  there  was  great 
rejoicing  among  her  citizens  when  ground  wa*s 
broken  for  its  construction.  A  number  of  the 
leading  citizens  celebrated  the  event  by  a  grand 
supper,  given  March  4,  1847,  at  th@>  Poughkeepsie 
Hotel,  then  kept  by  John  H.  Rutzer.  One  who 
was  present  says  it  surpassed  anything  of  the  kind 
ever  witnessed  in  Poughkeepsie.  The  large  dining 
hall  of  the  Poughkeepsie  Hotel  was  handsomely 
and  appropriately  decorated,  and  the  table  was 
filled  to  overflowing  with  the  choicest  viands,  with 
a  minature  locomotive  and  train  of  cars,  in  sugar, 
for  a  center  piece.  After  the  removal  of  the  cloth 
several  toasts  were  read.  That  to  "The  Pioneers 
of  the  Hudson  River  Railroad"  called  out  Mat- 
thew Vassar;  "Our  Merchants"  was  responded 
to  by  Hon.  James  Bowne ;  "  The  Bar,"  by  La)nard 
Maison ;  and  "  the  Press,"  by  Theopolus  Gillinder, 
then  editor  of  the  Poughkeepsie  American.  While 
this   animated    scene    was    enacting   there   was 


RAILROAD  ENTERPRISES. 


loi 


general  rejoicing  in  the  streets.  "  On  Main  and 
Market  streets  bon-fires  sent  up  volumes  of  flames 
and  smoke,  and  young  and  old  of  both  sexes 
thronged  the  sidewalks,  while  Young  America 
hurled  fire  balls  through  the  'air."  Some  of  the 
citizens  "illuminated  their  residences  and  called 
in  their  neighbors  to  partake  of  bountiful  spreads 
which  they  had  prepared  in  the  exuberance  of 
their  joy."* 

The  New  York  &  Harlem  Railroad  Co.  was  char- 
tered April  25, 183 1,  to  build  a  road  from  23d  street. 
New  York,  to  Harlem,  and  commenced  the  con- 
struction of  their  road  Feb.  24,  1832.  One  mile 
was  built  and  opened  that  year,  an  additional  mile 
in  1833,  and  two  miles  in  each  of  the  years  1834, 
'37  and  '39.  In  1840,  the  company  were  allowed 
to  extend  to  meet  the  New  York  &  Albany  Rail- 
road, and  in  1842,  they  opened  an  additional  six 
miles  of  road,  and  twelve^miles  in  1844.  In  1845 
they  were  allowed  to  continue  this  road  to  Albany. 
Twenty-five  miles  of  road  were  opened  in  1847; 
twenty-nine  miles  in  1848;  and  fifty-one  miles  in 
1852,  on  the  19th  of  January  in  which  year  it  was 
opened  to  Chatham  Four  Corners,  where  it  con- 
nected with  the  Albany  &  West  Stockbridge  Rail- 
road. April  23,  1870,  it  was  continued  by  the 
Harlem  Extension  Railroad  from  Chatham  Four 
Corners  to  Vermont  and  Canada,  thus  forming  a 
great  through  Une  of  travel.  That  part  of  the  road 
operated  by  steam — north  of  Harlem — is  leased  to 
the  New  York  Central  &  Hudson  River  Railroad 
Co.  In  this  county  it  passes  in  a  northerly  direc- 
tion through  the  eastern  tier  of  towns. 

The  stations  upon  this  line  of  road  within  this 
county  and  their  distances  in  miles  from  the  Grand 
Central  Depot  in  New  York  are:  Pawling,  63; 
South  Dover,  69;  Dover  Plains,  76;  Wassaic,  81 ; 
Amenia,  84;  Sharon,  87;  Coleman's,  88;  Miller- 
ton,  92  ;  Mt.  Riga,  95. 

The  Boston,  Hartford  &  Erie  Extension  Rail- 
road Co.  organized  to  build  a  railroad  from  Fishkill 
landing  to  the  Connecticut  State  line,  filed  articles 
of  association  Oct.  i,  1863,  and  was  consolidated 
with  the  Boston,  Hartford  &  Erie  Railroad  Co. 
Aug.  23,  1864.  About  eighty  per  cent,  of  the 
grading  from  Hopewell  was  finished  in  1870.  Pos- 
session was  taken  by  trustees,  under  the  terms  of  a 
mortgage,  Sept.  13,  1871,  and  work  on  the  road 
was  for  some  time  suspended.  In  1873,  the  name 
was  changed  to  the  New  York  &  New  England 
Railroad.  In  June,  1877,  the  road  was  completed 
from  Boston  to  WilHmantic  and  from  Providence, 

*  The  Sunday  Courier,  Poughkeepsie,  Oct.  ii,  1S73. 


R.  I.,  to  Waterbury,  Conn.,  with  sundry  branches, 
and  partly  graded  from  Waterbury  to  Hopewell 
Junction.  In  that  year  a  committee  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Legislature  examined  the  route  to  deter- 
mine whether  it  was  best  for  the  State  to  complete 
or  sell  the  road.  At  present,  (1881,)  a  branch  of 
the  road  between  Hopewell  and  Brewsters  on  the 
Harlem  road  in  Putnam  County  is  under  construc- 
tion. 

The  Cornwall  Suspension  Bridge  Railroad  and 
the  Eastern  Branch  of  the  Duchess  &  Columbia 
Railroad  were  projects  of  1868,  but  both  were 
abandoned.  The  former  was  organized  with  a 
capital  of  two  and  a  half  miUion  dollars,  as  a 
branch  of  the  Erie  Railway  from  Fishkill  to  New- 
burgh,  and  filed  articles  Jan.  14,  1868. 

Clove  Branch  Railroad  Co.  was  chartered  Nov. 
21,  1868,  with  a  capital  of  $150,000,  to  construct 
a  road  from  Clove  Branch  Junction  to  Sylvan 
Lake,  a  distance  of  4.25  miles,  which  was  built  and 
opened  in  1869.  April  28,  1870,  the  company  were 
allowed  to  extend  their  road  from  any  point  on  the 
line  then  located,  into  or  through  East  Fishkill, 
Fishkill,  Beekman  or  Union  Vale,  by  a  branch  to 
any  iron  mines  in  those  towns,  also  a  branch  from 
the  Duchess  &  Columbia  Railroad.  A  branch  was 
opened  in  1877,  from  Sylvan  Lake  to  Clove  Val- 
ley, a  distance  of  4.01  miles,  and  is  leased  to  the 
New  York,  Boston  &  Montreal  Railroad. 

The  stations  and  distances  in  miles  from  Clove 
Branch  Junction  are :  Adriance,  1.77 ;  Sylvan  Lake, 
3.31 ;  Ore  MineSj  4.09 ;  Beekman,  6.09  ;  Clove  Val- 
ley, 8.04. 

The  Rhinebeck  &  Connecticut  Railroad  Co.  was 
chartered  June  29,  1870,  with  a  capital  of  $1,000,- 
000,  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  railroad  from 
RhinecUff,  on  the  Hudson  River  road  in  Rhine- 
beck,  to  the  State  Une.  Amended  articles  of  asso- 
ciation were  filed  with  the  Secretary  of  State  in 
1872,  in  the  fall  of  which  year  construction  was 
commenced.  Wm.  Chamberlain,  Wm.  B.  Piatt, 
Ambrose  Wager,  Thomas  Cornell,  Anthony  Ben- 
son, Edward  Martin  and  John  S.  Thompson  were 
the;n  the  directors.  Twenty-eight  miles  of  road 
were  finished  and  opened  in  1874,  and  7.2  miles 
in  1875.  The  entire  length  of  the  main  line  is 
41.6  miles.*  The  cost  of  road  and  equipment  up 
to  1879  was  $1,440,920.30. 

The  stations  upon  this  road  and  their  dis- 
tances in  miles  from  RhinecUff  are :  Rhinebeck,  3; 
Red   Hook,    7.4;    Spring    Lake,  11.2;    EUerslie, 

*  The  track  from  Boston  Corners  to  State  Line,  6.4  miles,  is  held  under 
lease. 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


13.6  J  Jackson  Corners,  17.6;  Mount  Ross,  19.3; 
GallatinviUe,  23;  Ancram,  25.4;'  Copake,  31.5; 
Boston  Corners,  35.2;  Mount  Riga,  38.6;  State 
Line,  (C.  W.  R.  R.  Junction)  41:6. 

The  Putnam  &  Duchess  Railroad  Co.  filed  arti- 
cles April  4,  1 87 1.  It  was  formed  for  the  purpose 
of  constructing  a  railroad  from  a  point  on  the  New 
York  &  Boston  Railroad  in  Carmel  northerly  to 
the  Duchess  &  Columbia  road,  at  or  near  Hope- 
well, a  distance  of  about  twenty  miles.  The  cap- 
ital of  the  company  was  $1,000,000.  It  was  con- 
solidated in  1873  with  the  New  York,  Boston  & 
Northern  Railroad  Co.,  which  the  same  year  was 
consolidated  with  the  New  York,  Boston  &  Mon- 
treal Railroad  Co. 

The  Iron  Hill  Railroad  Co.  in  Duchess  and  Put- 
nam counties,  was  chartered  in  1873,  but  has 
become  extinct ;  likewise  the  Pine  Plains  &  Rhine- 
beck  Railroad  Co.,  chartered  the  same  year.  The 
Fishkill  &  Newburgh  Railroad  Co.  was  chartered 
in  1876  to  build  a  road  from  the  terminus  of  the 
Duchess  &  Columbia  road  to  Newburgh,  but  it  is 
not  in  operation.  The  Poughkeepsie  Grand  Junc- 
tion Railroad  Co.,  formed  to  build  a  road  from  the 
west  bank  of  the  Hudson,  at  a  point  in  the  town 
of  Lloyd,  Ulster  County,  to  connect  with  a  Hne  of 
railroad  designed  to  cross  the  proposed  Poughkeep- 
sie bridge,  and  extending  thence  south-westerly 
twelve  miles  to  a  point  on  the  Wallkill  Valley  Rail- 
road, in  the  town  of  Gardiner,  Ulster  County, 
filed  articles  Feb.  27,  1879,  and,  with  the  State 
Line  &  Eastern  Railroad  Co.,  which  filed  articles 
April  18,  1879,  and  was  formed  to  build  a  road 
from  the  point  where  the  Poughkeepsie  Grand 
Junction  should  intersect  the  Wallkill  Valley  road, 
to  the  locality  of  Port  Jervis,  was  consolidated  to 
form  the  Poughkeepsie  &  Grand  Junction  Railroad 
Co.,  which  filed  articles  June  14,  1879. 

The  Poughkeepsie  Bridge  Co.  was  incorporated 
May  10,  1872,  with  a  capital  of  $2,000,000,  for 
the  purpose  of  building  a  bridge  for  a  railroad  and 
common  road  travel  across  the  Hudson  at  Pough- 
keepsie, a  project  first  publicly  suggested  by  Mr. 
T.  G.  Nichols,  in  an  article  in  the  Daily  Press,  of 
Poughkeepsie,  of  which  he  was  then  editor,  dated 
January  19,  1854,  as  a  means  of  establishing  a 
direct  and  expeditious  communication  between  the 
manufacturing  interests  of  the  East  and  the  limit- 
less coal  and  ore  fields  of  Pennsylvania,  Virginia 
and  the  West.  The  charter  provided  that  the  work 
of  construction  should  be  begun  before  July  r, 
1872,  and  finished  before  1876;  that  the  bridge 
should  be  so  built  as  not  to  obstruct  navigation,  and 


at  least  130  feet  above  high  tide.  No  pier  was  to 
be  built  outside  the  pier  limits  then  established  by 
law.  In  1872,  the  charter  was  amended,  so  that 
the  shore  abutment  of  the  bridge  should  not  be 
constructed  beyond  the  river  line  of  the  whale- 
dock  property  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  nor 
beyond  the  river  line  of  the  ferry-dock  on  the  west 
side,  and  the  company  were  permitted  to  construct 
and  maintain  besides  the  shore  abutments,  piers  of 
masonry  in  the  river,  not  exceeding  four  in  num- 
ber, and  distant  from  each  other  and  the  shore 
abutments  not  less  than  five  hundred  feet.  The 
time  limited  for  the  commencement  of  the  bridge 
was  extended  to  January  i,  1874,  and  for  its  com- 
pletion and  opening  for  use  to  January  i,  1879. 
The  officers  of  the  company  in  1872,  were:  John 

F.  Winslow,  President ;  Robert  F.  Wilkinson,  Sec- 
retary ;  George  Innis,  John  M.  Toucey,  Matthew 
Vassar,  Homer  A.  Nelson,  P.  P.  Dickinson,  Charles 
Wheaton,  Charles  W.  Swift,  William  A.  Davies, 
and  Judge  Anthony,  Directors.  A  meeting  of 
stock-holders  was  held  in  Poughkeepsie,  September 
5,  1873,  and  a  permanent  organization  was  effected 
as  follows :  Directors,  J.  Edgar  Thompson,  Phila- 
delphia, of  the  Pennsylvania  R.  R.,  A.  L.  Dennis, 
Newark,  President  N.  J.  R.  R.  &  T.  Co.,  Hon.  H. 

G.  Eastman,  LL.  D.,  Mayor  of  Poughkeepsie  and 
President  of  Eastman's  National  Business  College, 
Andrew  Carnegie,  New  York,  of  the  Keystone 
Bridge  Works  and  Union  Iron  Mills  of  Pittsburg, 
Charles  G.  Franklyn,  of  New  York,  Cunard  Steam- 
ship Co.,  David  Solomon,  New  York,  Financial 
Agent  Penn.  R.  R.  Co.,  Andrew  J.  Cassatt,  Phila- 
delphia, General  Manager  Penn.  R.  R.,  George  P. 
Pelton,  Poughkeepsie,  President  Poughkeepsie  and 
Eastern  R.  R.,  P.  P.  Dickinson,  Poughkeepsie, 
Chief  Engineer  P.  &  E.  R.  R.,  Strickland  Kneass, 
Philadelphia,  Asst.  President  Peng.  R.  R.  Co., 
Gardiner  F.  McCandless,  New  York,  Treas.  I.  M. 
&  N.  R.  R.  Co. ;  President,  A.  L.  Dennis ;  Vice- 
President,  H.  G.  Eastman ;  Treasurer,  G.  F. 
McCandless ;  Secretary,  Charles  B.  Thurston  • 
Assistant  Secretary  and  Attorney,  R.  F.  Wilkinson. 
The  work  of  construction  was  commenced  in  the 
summer  of  1876,  and  two  piers  carried  above  the 
surface  of  the  water,  in  which  condition  it  still 
remains,  doubtful  if  further  work  on  it  will  soon  be 
prosecuted.  The  proposed  bridge  is  to  be  a  mag- 
nificent and  costly  structure.  The  iron  work  is  to  be 
sixty-four  feet  in  height,  above  the  piers,  thus  mak- 
ing the  total  height  from  the  water  to  the  top  of 
the  bridge  at  least  one  hundred  and  ninety-four  feet. 
Its  construction  wiU  necessitate  the  erection  of  an 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  DUCHESS  COUNTY  MEDICAL  SOCIETY. 


103 


independent  temporary  wooden  bridge  from  shore 
to  shore,  at  an  estimated  cost  of  $400,000.  It  is 
proposed  to  lay  the  railroad  track  on  the  top  chord 
of  the  bridge.* 


CHAPTER  XII. 


County  Societies — Early  Legislation  on  Medi- 
cal Subjects — Duchess  County  Medical  So- 
ciety— Organization,  Constituent  Members 
and  First  Officers — Digest  of  By-Laws — 
Early  Legislative  Enactments  by  the  So- 
ciety—  Names  of  Successive  Presidents — 
Names  of  Members  from  the  Organization 
OF  THE  Society — Rise  and  Spread  of  Home- 
opathy—  Its  Introduction  into  Duchess 
County — Homeopathic  Medical  Society  of 
Duchess  County — Organization — Successive 
Presidents — Names  of  Members  from  the  Or- 
ganization of  the  Society — Duchess  County 
Mutual  Insurance  Company. 

THE  practice  of  "  physic  and  surgery"  in  the 
city  of  New  York  was  first  regulated  by  leg- 
islative enactment  June  10,  1760,  and  afterwards 
by  an  act  of  March,  1792.  March  23,  1797,  the 
first  general  regulation  was  attempted,  by  author- 
izing the  Chancellor,  a  Judge  of  the  Supreme  or 
Common  Pleas  Court,  or  Master  in  Chancery,  to 
license  physicians  or  surgeons,  upon  evidence  of 
their  having  studied  two  years,  etc.,  and  the  act 
of  1792  was  repealed.  The  act  of  1797  was 
amended  in  1801,  and  again  in  1803.  The  pen- 
alty for  practicing  without  a  license  at  this  period 
was  the  prohibition  to  receive  remuneration,  and 
the  imposition  of  a  fine  of  twenty-five  dollars  each 
time  pay  was  received.  April  4,  1 806,  an  act  of  the 
Legislature  authorized  the  establishment  of  County 
Medical  Societies  and  a  general  State  Medical  So- 
ciety, and  repealed  the  former  acts ;  and  this  act 
was  incorporated  in  that  of  April  10,  1813,  which 
prohibited  persons  from  practicing  "physic  and 
surgery"  without  having  passed  an  examination  and 
received  a  diploma  from  a  medical  society,  which 
they  were  required  to  have  recorded  in  the  County 
Clerk's  office,  under  penalty  of  being  forever  dis- 
qualified from  collecting  any  debt  incurred  by  such 
practice  in  any  court  in  this  State,  and  of  forfeit- 
ing twenty-five  dollars  for  each  offence  of  which 
they  might  be  convicted,  provided  they  received 
pay  or  reward  for  their  services.     Any  person,  how- 

*  The  Sunday  Courier,  Poughkeepsie,   September  7,  187s  ;  Hough's 
Gazetteer  of  the  State  of  New  York,  260  ;  and  other  documents. 


ever,  was  permitted  to  use  for  the  benefit  of  the 
sick,  "  any  roots,  bark  or  herbs,  the  growth  or  pro- 
duce of  the  United  States.''  Every  applicant  for  a 
license  was  required  to  produce  "  satisfactory  tes- 
timony that  he  had  regularly  studied  physic  and 
surgery  or  both  *  *  *  with  one  or  more  rep- 
utable practitioner  or  practitioners  for  the  term  of 
three  years ;"  but  before  being  allowed  to  practice 
he  must  have  attained  the  age  of  twenty-one  years. 
The  law  authorized  qualified  physicians  and  sur- 
geons, not  less  than  five  in  number,  in  counties 
where  no  medical  society  then  existed,  to  organize 
such  society,  and  empowered  them  not  only  to  grant 
licenses  but  to  recognize  diplomas  granted  by  other 
States  and  countries  as  well  as  those  received  from 
the  Regents  of  the  University  and  Geneva  Medical 
College.  They  were  endowed  with  the  usual  cor- 
porate powers,  and  permitted  to  hold  real  and  per- 
sonal property  not  exceeding  in  value  $  i  .000.  They 
might  require  the  payment  by  their  members  of  a 
sum  not  exceeding  three  dollars,  and  by  each  prac- 
ticing physician  and  surgeon  in  the  county  a  sum 
not  exceeding  one  dollar  a  year,  for  procuring  a 
medical  library  and  apparatus,  and  encouraging 
useful  discoveries  in  chemistry,  botany,  etc.  The 
amended  law  of  April  20,  1818,  modified  these 
provisions  somewhat,  and  also  required  "  every 
practitioner  of  medicine  in  this  State  to  report  him- 
self to  and  connect  himself  with  the  medical  so- 
ciety in  the  county"  in  which  he  resided.  If  any 
failed  to  comply,  his  license  was  forfeited  and  he 
subjected  to  the  provisions  and  penalties  applicable 
to  unlicensed  physicians. 

Sept.  20,  1806,  the  following  named  physicians 
of  Duchess  county,  being  a  majority  of  the  physi- 
cians in  the  county,  met  at  Cunningham's  Hotel 
agreeable  to  public  notice,  and  formed  the  Duch- 
ess County  Medical  Society,  viz :  John  W.  Smith, 
Amenia;  Ebenezer  Carey  and  Thomas  Laffen, 
Beekman ;  Cyrus  B6rry,  George  W.  Cook,  James 
Downs,  WiUiam  Ely  and  Thomas  Quinlan,  Clin- 
ton; Abraham  Halsey,  John  Pinckney,  Joseph 
Rogers,  James  Thorn  and  Bartow  White,  Fishkill ; 
Uri  Judd,  North  East ;  David  Delavan  and  James 
Scovel,  Pawling ;  John  Chamberlain,  Caleb  Child, 
Daniel  Dayton,  John  Thomas,  Charles  Waldo, 
Baltus  L.  Van  Kleeck  and  J.  Livingston  Van- 
Kleeck,  Poughkeepsie ;  David  Tomlinson  and 
Wm.  W.  Wheeler,  Rhinebeck ;  Richard  Bartlett; 
Amasa  Beeckman  and  Ezekiel  H.  Gurnsey,  Stan- 
ford ;  and  Benjamin  Delavergne  and  Wm.  Lathrop, 
Washington.  Benjamin  Delavergne  was  chairman, 
and  Abraham  Halsey,  secretary  of  the  meeting. 


104 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


The  following  officers  were  elected  :  Samuel  Bard, 
of  Hyde  Park,  President ;  Benjamin  Delavergiie, 
Vice-President ;  Robert  Noxon,  Treasurer,  and  J. 
Livingston  Van  Kleeck,  Secretary.  After  the 
election  of  the  above  officers,  the  Vice-President, 
Benjamin  Delavergne,  took  the  chair,  and  the  fol- 
lowing were  elected  Censors :  Ebenezer  Carey, 
John  Thomas,  Wm.  Lathrop,  David  Tomlinson 
and  Abraham  Halsey.  Wm.  Wheeler  was  appointed 
delegate  to  the  State  Society.  John  Thomas, 
Bartow  White,  Thomas  Laflfen,  Wm.  Ely  and  J. 
Livingston  Van  Kleeck  were  appointed  to  draft  a 
code  of  by-laws. 

Dr.  Samuel  Bard,  who  was  elected  President, 
had  retired  from  active  life.  He  lived  and  prac- 
ticed medicine  in  the  city  of  New  York,  before, 
during  and  after  the  Revolution  of  1776.  He  was 
a  very  successful  practitioner,  and,  though  not  a 
great  author,  had  published  a  treatise  written  in 
1 77 1,  on  Angina  Suffocata,  and  another  on  the 
"  Use  of  Cold"  in  hemorrhage.  His  greatest  and 
best  work  was  a  treatise  on  obstetrics — a  work  the 
more  valuable  because  it  was  written  and  published 
after  he  had  retired,  and  not  written  to  gain  a  reputa- 
tion, but  to  give  the  young  practitioner  good  ideas 
particularly  on  the  subject  of  the  cautious  use  of 
instruments  in  obstetrics.  Thatcher  says,  in  his 
biography  of  medical  men,  that  in  1813,  Dr.  Bard 
was  appointed  President  of  the  College  of  Physi- 
cians and  Surgeons  in  New  York,  which  position 
he  held  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.* 

At  the  second  meeting,  held  at  the  same  place 
the  second  Tuesday  in  November,  1806,  it  was 
"  voted  that  the  annual  contribution  be  two  dol- 
lars."t  By-laws,  which  every  member  of  the  So- 
ciety was  required  to  sign,  were  adopted.  They 
provided,  among  other  things,  that  the  annual 
meetings  of  the  Society  should  be  held  the  second 
Tuesday  in  November  in  every  year,  and  the  semi- 
annual meetings  the  second  Tuesday  in  May. 
The  delegate,  in  addition  to  his  other  duties,  was 
required  "  to  support  the  honor  and  dignity  of  the 
Society."  Provision  was  made  for  the  punishment 
of  all  persons  practicing  "physic  and  surgery" 
contrary  to  the  law  of  April  4,  1806.  "  The  cen- 
sors, having  been  irregularly  chosen  at  the  last 
meeting,"  were  re-appointed  at  this.  The  delegate 
seems  to  have  performed  satisfactorily  the  impor- 
tant duty  assigned  him,  for  at  the  meeting  of  May 
II,  1807,  he  was  thanked  for  his  services  as  such,, 
"andfor  his  generous  refusal  to  be  remunerated  for 

.//To  °''  ^".^«^'"='= ''«/'"•  read  before  the  Duchess  County 
Medical  Society  at  Wappmgers  Falls,  June  8,  1881. 
t  May  II,  1819,  this  was  repealed  and  the  amount  fixed  at  $1 


those  services."  At  the  latter  date  it  was  resolved 
"  that  every  candidate  for  admission  de  jure  into 
this  Society  shall  produce  to  the  Society  a  certifi- 
cate of  his  legal  qualification  to  practice  physic  and 
surgery,  according  to  the  former  laws  of  the  State, 
or  that  at  least  four  members  of  the  Society  shall 
vouch  for  his  qualification." 

Nov.  II,  1807,  the  President,  or,  in  his  absence, 
the  Vice-President,  was  required  to  appoint  three 
persons  in  the  order  in  which  their  names  were 
subscribed  to  the  by-laws,  to  read  dissertations  on 
some  medical  subject  before  the  Society  at  its  next 
stated  meeting. 

Jan.  23,  1808,  the  by-laws  were  amended.     The 
Society   resolved   to   confer   licenses   to   practice 
twice   each  year,  at  the  annual  and  semi-annual 
meetings;   also  to    "give  out  twice  in  every  six 
months  before  each  peri«l,  a  medical  case,  ques- 
tion or  aphorism,"  on  which  each  candidate  was 
expected  to  write  a  short  dissertation,  to  "  be  de- 
Uvered   to   the  Secretary   at   least  fourteen   days 
before  the  next  stated  meeting,   for  the   perusal 
of  such  members  as  may  choose  to  examine  it." 
The  first  examination  was  to  be  held  on  the  morn- 
ing of  each  stated  meeting ;  "  be  private  before  the 
censors  and  such  mernbers  only  as  the  candidate 
might  choose  to  invite,"  and  "  relate  to  anatomy, 
physiology,   chemistry,    pharmacy,  pathology  and 
therapeutics,  on  all  of  which,  the  candidate  mani- 
festing competent  knowledge,  the  censors  shall  give 
him  a  certificate  thereof  under  their  hands."    The 
second  examination  was  to  be  public,  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  same  day,  and  ''  consist  of  a  defense 
by  the  candidate  of  such  opinion  as  he  may  have 
advanced  in  his  dissertation,  against  the  objections 
which  may  be  raised  by  the  examiners,"  who  were  to 
be  chosen  at  every  meeting  of  the  Society  for  that 
purpose.    The  candidate,  having  passed  a  satisfac- 
tory examination,  was  required  to  repeat  aloud  and 
subscribe  to  the  following  solemn  declaration  :— 

"I,  A.  B.,  before  God  and  this  assembly,  do 
solemnly  promise  and  declare  that  I  will,  at  aU 
times,  practice  the  profession  of  physic  and  surgery 
to  which  I  am  now  to  be  licensed,  cautiously,  dili- 
gently and  conscientiously,  and  to  the  best  of  my 
abilities,  for  the  good  of  my  patients,  the  care  of 
their  diseases  and  the  preservation  of  their  health ; 
tha.t  I  will,  on  no  occasion,  sacrifice  them  either  to 
the  hope  of  reward,  the  gratification  of  resentment, 
inexcusable  negligence,  or  to  any  other  motive 
whatsoever ;  that  I  will  never  conspire  against  the 
life  of  the  fetus,  and  that  I  will  sacredly  keep  all 
such  secrets  as  shall  be  confided  to  me  in  my  pro- 
fessional capacity,  which,  as  a  citizen,  I  am  not 
bound  to  reveal." 


DUCHESS  COUNTY  MEDICAL  SOCIETY. 


105 


Nov.  12,  181 1,  the  by-law  relative  to  the  exam- 
ination of  applicants  for  licenses,  passed  Feb.  22, 
1808,  was  amended  so  as  to  make  the  day  of  ex- 
amination ■  the  day  preceding  the  meeting  of  the 
society,  and  May  9,  1815,  was  again  amended  so 
as  to  permit  the  censors,  by  order  of  the  President, 
to  convene  on  any  day  for  that  purpose,  except 
the  days  of  the  annual  and  semi-annual  meetings 
of  the  society.  Nov.  14,  1815,  it  was  "resolved 
that  the  examination  of  the  students  shall  be  in  the 
presence  of  the  Society  in  future,  at  their  annual 
and  semi-annual  meetings,  and  the  Society  (with 
the  Censors)  shall  decide  on  his  or  their  quaUfica- 
tion."  Nov.  12,  1816,  the  by-law  relating  to 
examination  of  students  passed  Nov.  14,  1815,  was 
repealed,  and  the  law  passed  in  1806,  "revived." 
At  that  meeting  also  the  Society  concurred  in  the 
efforts  of  the  Albany  .County  Medical  Society  to 
secure  an  amendment  to  the  law  regulating  the 
practice  of  physic  and  surgery  in  this  State,  so  as 
to  make  it  unlawful  for  Censors  of  incorporated 
medical  societies  in  this  State  to  proceed  to  the 
examination  of  a  student  for  hcense  to  practice 
physic  and  surgery  unless  he  previously  exhibit  a , 
certificate  of  having  attended  at  least  one  session 
of  some  of  the  medical  colleges  in  the  United 
States  or  in  Europe. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  January,  1809,  the  society 
emphatically  dissented  from  the  proposed  action 
of  the  Medical  Society  of  the  City  and  County  of 
New  York,  which  contemplated  recommending  to 
the  Regents  of  the  University,  the  College  of  Phy- 
sicians and  Surgeons,  as  a  fit  association  to  be 
clothed  with  powers  appertaining  to  County  Med- 
ical Societies.  The  society  was  apprehensive  of 
this  abridgment  of  the  rights  vested  in  County 
Medical  Societies  by  the  Legislature,  and  regarded 
the  measure  as  one  calculated  to  reduce  them  to 
mere  automatons. 

Nov.  14,  1809,  the  delegate  to  the  State  Medi- 
cal Society  was  instructed  to  endeavor  to  obtain  in 
the  Society  a  petition  to  the  Legislature  to  repeal 
so  much  of  a  recent  act  to  organize  the  militia  of 
the  State,  as  subjected  "practitioners  of  physic 
and  surgery  to  a  fine  for  omitting  or  refusing  to 
perform  military  duty." 

Nov.  lo,  1 8 13,  Censors  were  allowed  two  dol- 
lars per  day  while  engaged  in  the  business  of  their 
office  i  and  Nov.  14,  1815,  the  like  amount  was 
voted  for  attendance  at  annual  and  semi-annual 
meetings.  At  the  latter  date,  also,  it  was  resolved 
that  a  sum  not  exceeding  $160  be  appropriated 
froi5  the  moneys  in "  the  treasury  of  the  Society, 


for  the  purchase  of  surgical  instruments  for  the  use 
of  the  Society,  and  Drs.  Halsey,  Cooper  and  Sher- 
rill  were  appointed  to  make  such  purchases.  May 
13,  1817,  it  was  resolved  that  students  thereafter 
examined  should  pay  to  each  censor  present  at  his 
examination  $2,  and  $5  for  his  diploma.  Nov.  11, 
181 7,  Dr.  Sherrill  described  the  symptoms,  treat- 
ment, termination  and  examination  of  a  case  of 
polypii  of  the  heart,  and  the  paper  was  ordered 
published  with  the  proceedings  of  the  Society. 
At  this  meeting  it  was  resolved  to  be  expedient  to 
have  a  standard  of  prices  fixed  for  ordinary  prac- 
tice, and  a  schedule  was  adopted.  A  standard  for 
medicine  was  also  adopted,  the  prices  varying 
from  six  pence  to  four  shiUings. 

Aug.  28,  1821,  the  by-law  respecting  charges 
was  suspended  until  the  next  semi-annual  meeting, 
and  the  delegate  was  requested  to  use  his  influence 
with  the  State  Society  to  repeal  their  law  disap- 
proving a  system  of  charges  by  County  Societies. 

May  12,  1818,  the  President  was  required  to 
deliver  an  address,  publicly,  on  going  out  of  office, 
or  in  case  of  inability  to  attend,  to  forward  to  the 
Secretary  such  address  in  writing  to  be  read  before 
the  Society.  May  11,  1819,  the  Vice-President 
was  required  to  deliver  an  address  at  each  semi- 
annual meeting.  Nov.  9,  1819,  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  purchase  "  surgical  instruments, 
books,  etc,"  for  the  use  of  the  Society,  in  amount 
not  to  exceed  $75.  May  8,  1821,  an  additional 
$25  was  appropriated  for  the  purchase  of  books, 
instruments,  etc.,  for  the  use  of  the  members  of 
the  Society.  May  14,  1822,  after  various  resolu- 
tions had  been  offered  respecting  the  disposition  of 
the  surplus  funds  of  the  Society,  and  the  sale  of 
the  surgical  instruments  and  books  belonging  to 
it,  it  was  resolved  that  the  former  be  appropriated 
in  future  to  the  purchase  of  books.  May  9,  1826, 
it  was  resolved  to  sell  the  surgical  instruments  of 
the  Society,  and  Nov.  13,  1832,  the  books.  The 
latter  were  sold  Nov.  1 2,  T.833. 

Nov.  12,  1822,  it  was  resolved  to  be  "improper 
that  any  penalty  other  than  the  annual  tax  of  one 
dollar  should  be  exacted  by  law  of  such  physicians 
and  surgeons  as  are  unwiUing  to  become  members 
of  the  County  Medical  Societies."  The  initiation 
fee,  which  had  been  two  dollars,  was  reduced  to 
one. 

In  January,  1823,  the  following  were  unani- 
mously adopted : — 

"Resolved,  That  we  deem  it  highly  requisite 
both  for  the  honor  and  dignity  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession as  well  as  for  the  interest  of  the  community, 


io6 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


that  there  should  be  some  tribunal  vested  with  the 
power  of  depriving  unworthy  practitioners  of 
physic  and  surgery  of  their  licenses  to  practice. 

'■'■Resolved,  That  we  deem  it  just  and  consistent 
with  the  dignity  and  utility  of  the  medical  profes- 
sion, that  the  power  to  deprive  of  licenses  should 
be  vested  with  the  same  body  which  by  law  has  a 
right  to  confer  them. 

'■'Resolved,  That  we  concur  with  the  medical 
societies  in  this  State  which  have  agreed  to  petition 
the  Legislature  so  to  amend  the  law  relative  to 
physic  and  surgery  that  any  medical  society  in  this 
State,  on  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the  members,  may 
have  the  power  to  deprive  any  practitioner  of  their 
county  guilty  of  malpractice  or  habitual  intoxica- 
tion, or  convicted  of  any  crime,  or  who  may  have 
become  so  insane  as  to  be  incapable  of  attending 
to  his  ordinary  concerns,  of  his  right  to  practice 
physic  and  surgery,  reserving  always  the  right  of 
appeal  to  the  State  Medical  Society  or  some  other 
tribunal  established  by  law. 

^'Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  three  be  ap- 
pointed to  correspond  with  other  medical  societies, 
and  to  petition  the  Legislature  on  the  foregoing 
subject." 

Drs.  Cooper,  Sherrill  and  Schenck  were  appointed 
that  committee,  and  were  also  instructed  at  the  same 
meeting  "  to  draft  a  memorial  to  the  Legislature  of 
this  State,  prapng  that  a  law  may  be  passed  prohib- 
iting the  sale  of  medicines  at  retail  by  any  others 
than  those  who  have  served  a  regular  apprentice- 
ship to  the  druggist  business,  or  are  regular  practi- 
tioners of  physic. 

In  November,  1823,  a  new  set  of  by-laws  was 
adopted. 

Nov.  12,  1833,  Drs.  Huntington,  Sherrill,  Stod- 
dard, Judd  and  Thomas  T.  Everitt  were  appointed 
"to  draft  a  memorial  to  the  Legislature,  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  State  Medical  Society,  praying  for  an 
amendment  to  the  medical  law,  so  as  to  require  the 
botanic  and  other  professed  practitioners  of  med- 
icine to  study  the  length  of  time  and  undergo  the 
usual  examinations  required  of  regular  medical 
students  to  entitle  them  to  practice." 

Two  years  later,  in  1835,  there  were  69  physi- 
cians and  surgeons  practicing  in  the  county,  a 
larger  number  than  any  other  county,  except 
Albany,  which  had  77,  Monroe,  84,  New  York, 
530,  Oneida,  95,  and  Onondaga,  80,  the  total 
number  in  the  State  then  being  2,659.* 

Nov.  8,  1842,  it  was  "resolved,  that  in  the  opin- 
ion of  this  society  the  privilege  of  licensing  prac- 
titioners of  medicine  and  surgery  ought  to  be 
abolished  from  the  county  medical  societies  and 
from  the  medical  schools;  that  the  privilege  of 
Ifcensing  ought  not  to  be  connected  with  teaching." 

''Gordon's  Gazetteer  of  the  State  of , New  York,  191. 


This  was  a  period  when  the  physicians  of  this 
county  in  corhmon  with  others  throughout  the 
country  were  deeply  agitated — the  period  when 
homeopathy  began  to  force  its  just  claims  on  pub- 
lic attention  and  to  legal  recognition ;  and  this 
action  was  a  precursor  of  the  legislative  action 
which  followed  in  1844,  and  was  regarded  by  many 
with  grave  and  honest  apprehension ;  for  it  was 
feared  the  action  of  the  Legislature  would  prove 
detrimental  to  the  interests  of  the  profession,  and 
many  believed  "that  their  efforts  to  advance  a 
sound  rational  system  of  medical  education  and 
practice  were  neither  appreciated  by  the  people, 
nor  their  representatives  in  the  Legislature. "  It  has, 
however,  worked  beneficially,  in  resting  the  prestige 
of  the  profession  upon  its  real,  rather  than  its 
assumed,  merits. 

"So  far  as  I  know,"  says  Dr.  Pine,  whom  we 
have  previously  quoted,  "harmony  prevailed  in  the 
society  up  to  1839  or  '40.  About  that  time  a  cir- 
cumstance occurred  which  disturbed  its  harmony. 
A  student  by  the  name  of  I.  Devine  came  before 
the  censors  to  be  examined  for  a  license.  He 
was  examined  by  them  and  found  qualified.  How- 
ever, before  the  license  was  given  him,  the  censors 
heard  of  things  which  made  them  think  his  practice 
would  be  too  Utopian;  consequently  they  refused 
to  give  him  the  license.  One  or  two  law  suits  fol- 
lowed. The  society  was  defeated ;  Devine  gained 
his  point.  His  name  stands  on  our  roll.  From 
some  cause,  after  that  the  society  became  unpopu- 
lar, and  was  neglected  by  the  great  body  of  physi- 
cians for  a  long  time."* 

There  is  no  record  of  a  meeting  from  Nov.  1 1, 
1845,10  October,  1854.  At  the  latter  date  a 
meeting  of  the  physicians  of  Duchess  county  was 
held  at  Washington  Hollow,  and  attended  by  Drs. 
Hillis,  Hughson,Thorne,  Dodge,  Hasbrouck,  Losee, 
Pine,  Harvey,  Bell,  Campbell  and  Bockee.  Dr. 
Thorne  was  chosen  president,  and  Dr.  Bockee, 
secretary//-^  tempore.  After  some  discussion,  and 
a  motion  made  "  to  organize  a  new  society  uncon- 
nected with  the  Duchess  County  Medical  Society'' 
was  lost,  it  was  resolved  to  reorganize  that  society 
and  Drs.  Walter  Hughson,  Per  Lee  Pine  and 
Jacob  Bockee  were  appointed  to  review  its  by-laws 
and  present  them  at  a  future  meeting.  Nov.  14, 
1854,  the  by-laws  were  revised  and  the  name 
"changed  to  the  Medical  Society  of  Duchess 
County."  The  following  officers  were  then  elected : 
C.  Canfield,  President ;  A.  B.  Harvey,  Vice-Presi- 
dent;   J.  G.    Hillis,   Secretary;    C.    H.   Andrus, 

*  The  Pmighkeefisie  Daily  Press,  June  lo,  1881. 


THE  MEDICAL  SOCIETY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


107 


Treasurer ;  R.  T.  Gill,  J.  Cooper,  J.  H.  Traver, 
Per  Lee  Pine  and  J.  Bockee,  Censors.  Walter 
Hughson,  Delegate,  and  A.  Hasbrouck,  Supernu- 
merary Delegate  to  the  State  Medical  Society. 

The  Society  adjourned  to  meet  at  Dr.   Pine's 
office   in  Poughkeepsie,   the   second  Tuesday   in 
February,  1855  ;  but  there  is  no  further  record  of 
a  meeting  till  July  5,  1859,  at  which  time  an  in- 
formal  meeting   was    held   at   the   Poughkeepsie 
Hotel,  and  attended  by  Drs.  C.  Canfield,  President; 
John  Cooper,  A.  B.  Harvey,  R.  T.  Gill,  Wm.  Bell, 
Paine  and  J.  G.  Hillis.     No  meetings  are  re- 
corded between  Nov.  12,  1861,  and  Nov.  13,  1866. 
At   the  latter  date  the  Secretary  was  directed  to 
apply  to  the  Supervisors  for  a  room  in  the  Court 
House  in  which  to  hold  the  meetings  of  the  Society. 
The  by-laws  were  so  amended  that  the  annual  meet- 
ings were  to  be  held  the  second  Tuesday  in  May, 
and  the  semi-annual  meetings,  the  second  Tuesday 
in  November.     A  committee  was  appointed  to  re- 
vise the  by-laws  and  schedule  of  charges.     May  14, 
1867,  the  name  of  Asahel  Hall  was  stricken  from 
the  role  as  "  an  irregular  practitioner."     June  1 1, 
1867,  a  modified  form  of  the  fee  bill  of  the  Cayuga 
County  Medical  Society  was  adopted,  also  revised 
by-laws.     The  time  of  annual  meeting  was  changed 
to  the  second  Tuesday  in  June,  and  semi-annual, 
to  the  second  Tuesday  in  January,  each  year,  and 
Washington  Hollow  was  designated  as  the  place  of 
holding  the  former,  and  Poughkeepsie,  the  latter. 
From  this  period  the  records  of  the  Society  are 
replete  with  reports  of  interesting  cases,  which  re- 
flect in  a  high  degree  the  talent  and  professional 
skill  of  its  members.    - 

Jan.  14,  1868,  Dr.  Barker  complained  of  the 
action  of  the  Supervisors  in  "  unjustly "  cutting 
down  physicians'  bills  and  moved  that  a  committee 
be  appointed  to  consider  the  subject  and  report 
at  the  next  meeting.  Drs.  Cooper,  Andrus  and 
Webb,  who  were  chosen  as  such  committee,  re- 
ported June  9,  1868,  the  following,  which  was 
adopted : — 

''Resolved,  by  the  members  of  the  Duchess 
County  Medical  Society,  that  they  will  in  no  case 
accept  a  fee  for  making  a  post  mortem  examination 
at  the  request  of  the  Coroner,  for  an  amount  less 
than  the  minimum  specified  in  the  schedule  of  the 
Society ;  and  that  they  will  sustain  each  other  in 
every  honorable  endeavor  to  obtain  the  payment 
of  the  same  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors." 

The  minimum  fee  for  making  a  postmortem 
examination  by  order  of  the  Coroner  was  increased 
from  $10  to  $20  when  made  before,  and  from  $20 
to  $40,  when  made  after  interment. 


The  Society  has  not  confined  its  eiforts  to  merely 
local  matters,  but  has  aimed  to  exert  a  national 
influence  in  the  interests  of  the  profession  and  of 
humanity.  Jan.  12,  1870,  consideration  was  given 
to  the  case  of  Passed  Assistant  Surgeon  Charles 
L.  Green,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  who  was 
convicted  by  court  martial  for  refusing  to  discharge 
from  the  sick  Ust  an  ordinary  seaman,  who,  in  his 
opinion,  was  unfit  for  duty,  and  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  invite  the  attention  of  Hon.  John  H. 
Ketcham,  Representative  in  Congress  from  this 
district,  to  the  importance  of  appropriate  legisla- 
tive action.  Jan.  11,  1871,  that  committee  re- 
ported the  following  resolutions,  which  were 
adopted  and  ordered  forwarded  to  the  Representa- 
tive in  Congress,  who  was  urged  to  use  his  influence 
towards  procuring  such  legislation  as  would  place 
the  medical  staff  on  a  proper  footing : — 

''Resolved,  That  the  position  of  the  medical  ofl5- 
cers  of  the  navy  is  not  that  which  ought  to  be 
given  to  them  in  view  of  the  importance  and  es- 
sential dignity  of  their  duties ;  and  that  in  oppos- 
ing the  proper  assimilation  in  rank,  the  officers  of 
the  Une  have  not  shown  that  courtesy  and  liber- 
ality which  the  members  of  one  Uberal  profession 
have  a  right  to  expect  from  the  members  of 
another. 

"Resolved,  That,  in  our  opinion,  the  medical 
staff  of  the  United  States  Navy  ought  to  be 
ranked  so  as  to  correspond  in  its  position  with  the 
same  service  in  other  nations,  and  with  the  like 
service  in  our  own  army. 

"Resolved,  That,  our  Representative  in  Congress 
be  requested  to  aid  in  giving  the  medical  staff  a 
more  dignified  position  by  urging  such  amendments 
to  the  law  as  may  be  necessary  for  that  purpose." 

At  this  meeting  of  Jan.  ir,  1871,  the  subject 
of  diphtheria,  which  for  some  time,  and  at  a 
period  of  nine  years  previously,  had  been  epidemic 
in  his  neighborhood,  was  introduced  by  Dr.  Green, 
and  Drs.  Beadle,  Mead,  Doughty,  Andrus,  Under- 
bill, Webb  and  Young  took  part  in  the  discussion 
which  ensued  on  this  disease,  which  Dr.  Green 
defined  as  blood  poisoning.  At  this  meeting,  also, 
a  proposition  was  made  to  offer  two  premiums, 
one  of  $30  and  one  of  $20,  for  essays  on  subjects 
related  to  medicine,  to  be  awarded  respectively  to 
the  first  and  second  in  order  of  merit.  The  project 
of  more  frequent  meetings  was  also  discussed. 

June  14,  187 1,  the  Society  met  in  the  Baptist 
church  at  Bangall.  By  invitation  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Moore  offered  prayer.  This  is  the  first  recorded 
instance  of  such  exercise  in  the  meetings  of  the 
Society. 

August  14,  1872,  the  following  was  adopted  by 
a  vote  of  nine  to  four : — 


io8 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


"Resolved,  That  after  the  ist  of  January,  1873, 
the  members  of  this  Society  will  meet  in  consulta- 
tion, only  members  of  a  Society  affiliated  with  the 
Medical  Society  of  the  State  of  New  York." 

Drs.  Pine,  Payne,  Cooper,  Harvey,  Parker, 
Devan,  Van  Duser,  Webb  and  Hubbard  voted  for, 
and  Drs.  Campbell,  Stillman,  Barnes  knd  Cunning- 
ham against  it.  The  action  was  rescinded  Jan. 
8,  1873. 

Nov.  12,  1872,  it  is  recorded: — 
"  A  quorum  faiUng  to  assemble  at  the  time  and 
place  appointed,  no  meeting  was  held. 

"  This  failure  should  doubtless  be  ascribed  to 
the  universal  prevalence  of  influenza  among  the 
horses,  by  reason  of  which  travel  in  the  country  is 
about  suspended;  and  by  no  means  to  a  distaste 
among  members  for  the  further  discussion  of 
questions  of  ethics. 

A.  Hasbrouck,  Secretary." 
June  II,  1873,  it  was  resolved  that  the  meeting 
held  the  second  Wednesday  in  January  of  each 
year  at  Poughkeepsie  should  be  annual,  and  that 
held  the  second  Wednesday  in  June  semi-annual. 
In  1874,  the  Legislature,  in  a  measure,  put  up 
the  barriers  taken  down  in  1844,  so  far  as  to  dis- 
criminate against  quackery,  but  not  against  regular 
schools  of  medicine.  This  law  was  discussed  in  a 
meeting  of  the  Society  of  great  interest  Jan.  13, 
1875.  It  requires  practitioners  to  have  a  license 
from  a  medical  society,  or  to  be  graduates  from  a 
medical  college.  May  29, 1880,  an  act  was  passed 
by  the  Legislature  requiring  medical  practitioners 
to  register  in  the  County  Clerk's  office,  their  name, 
residence,  place  of  birth,  and  authority  for  practic- 
ing. Both  these  laws  make  illegal  practice  punish- 
able by  fine  or  imprisonment  or  both. 

The  records  of  the  Society  during  the  last  decade 
of  its  existence  evince  a  marked  increased  interest 
and  larger  attendance  at  its  meetings.  Papers  of 
great  interest  and  wide  scope  have  been  read,  and 
these  with  numerous  reported  cases  have  elicited 
a  general  and  enlightened  discussion.  The  m;eet- 
ings,  though  most  frequently  held  at  Poughkeepsie, 
have  been  rotated  to  various  parts  of  the  county! 
The  following  named  gentlemen  *  have  served 
the  society  as  presidents : — 

Samuel  Bard 1806-1812 

Benjamm  De  Lavergne i g j  , 

John  Thomas ! .' .' .'isM-iSis 

James  Downs ,0  J 

urijudd :: ;^i; 

Huntington  SherriU :;8;8,'  1824 

David  Tomhnson tRt 

Bartow  White ^^^ 

J^hn^^^^per_____^^^^^^ 


John  Dodge 1822 

Shadrach  Ricketson 1823 

Henry  D.  Sleight 1825 

Wheeler  Gilbert 1826 

David  L.  Dodge 1827 

John  Barnes 1828,  1834 

Stoddard  Judd 1829,  1835 

Abijah  G.  Benedict 1830-32,*  i84o-'42 

Eliphalet  Piatt 1833 

William  Thomas 1836-37 

Richard  A.  Varick 1839,  i86i-'66t 

Nelson  Andrews 1843 

George  W.  Leach 1844 

Calvert  Canfield i845-'54-'58f 

Lewis  H.  White 1867-1876 

Beadle i877-'78 

D.  Guernsey iS79-'8o 

Per  Lee  Pine 1 88 1 

Officers  elected  January  12,  1881  : — ~ 
President — Per  Lee  Pine. 
Vice-President — N.  M.  Van  Duser. 
Secretary — Guy  C.  Bayley. 
Treasurer — C.  H.  Langdon. 
Delegates  to  American  Medical  Association — A 
B.  Harvey,  R.  K.  Tuthill,  D.  Guernsey. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  names  of  members  who 
have  joined  the  society  since  its  organization,  as 
far  as  they  can  be  ascertained  from  the  records. 
The  right  hand  column  of  dates  represents  the 
time  they  were  admitted  to  membership,  or  when 
their  names  first  appear  on  the  records  as 
members;  the  left  hand  column,  the  time  those 
who  were  licensed  by  the  society  received  their 
license : — 

Adams    Frank    W.,    Fishkill-on- 

Hudson,  June  II,  1873. 
Allen  Stephen,  Stanford,  May  9, 

1809. 

Andrews  Nelson,  Hyde  Park,  May  12,  1835 

Andrus  C.  H.,  Po'keepsie  City,  Nov.  14,  1854. 

Annon  Daniel  D.,  Nov.  13,  1821. 

Anthony  Theodore  V.W.,Fishkill,  Nov.  8,  182?. 

Baker  R  N.,  Rhinebeck,  Jan.    9    ,878. 
Bancroft  Rolandus,  Newtown,  Ct., 

Jan.  22,  1808. 

Banks  James  L.,  New  York  City, 

(honorary,)  ju„e  13, 1877. 

Bard  Samuel,  Hyde  Park,  Nov.  —  1806 

Barker  Samuel  A,,  Nov.  21,  1816.  '- 

Barnes  Edwin,  Pine  Plains,  '  May  14,  1867. 

Barnes  Enos,  Clinton,  1814,  May  9,    1815. 

Barnes  John,  Po'keepsie  City,  Nov.  8,  1814."" 

Barnes  Peter,         «  "  Nqv.  10,  1835. 

Barns  John  H.,      «  «  Dec.   7,  1843. 

Barras  George,  Fishkill,        1808. 

Bartlett  Richard,  Stanford,  Sept.  20,  x8o6. 
Bartlett  R.  N.,  Ver;  early. 

^^rton  T.  F., June  12,  18/8. 

*  No  election  was  held  in  iSjl,  owing  to  the  small  number  in  attendance, 
t  No  election  is  recorded  between  1861  and  1866. 

*  No  election  is  recorded  between  1845  and  1854,  and  1854  and  1859. 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  MEDICAL  SOCIETY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


109 


Bartow  Leonard,  Fishkill, 
Bates  John,  Red  Hook, 
Bayley  Guy  C,  Po'keepsie  City, 
Beadle  Edward  L.,  Pleasant  Val- 
ley, 
Beadle    Edward    L.,    Po'keepsie 

City, 
Beers  Isaac, 

Beers  Vileroy,  Hyde  Park, 
Bell  Wm.  P.,  Fishkill, 
Benedict  Abijah  G.,  Red  Hook, 
May  9,  1815, 
Bennett  M.,  1834. 

Beiry    Abraham,    Clinton,    May 
II,   1819. 
Berry  Charles  H.,  Dover  Plains, 
Berry  Cyrus,  Clinton, 
Bierce    Columbus,  Amenia,  May 
14,  1816. 
Bird  J.  SterUng,  Hyde  Park, 
Bloss   Samuel,    Po'keepsie   City, 
April  — ,  1824, 
Bockee  Jacob,    Po'keepsie   City, 
Bolton  Edward  C,  Poughkeepsie 

City, 
Bolsford  Charles, 
Brown  Paul  R.,  Salt  Point, 
Buckman  Amasa,  Stanford, 
Burnett  Joshua  I.,  May  9,  1809. 
Burras  George,        Jan.  22,  1808. 
Campbell   Cornelius   N.,   Pough- 
keepsie City, 
Canfield   Calvert,    Pleasant   Val- 
ley, 
Carey  Ebenezer,  Beeknian, 
Carey  Egbert,  Beekman,  May  B, 

i8io, 
Carhart  Edward  W.,  Stanfordville, 
Carrington  Henry  A.,  Hyde  Park, 
Carroll  R.  J.,  Red  Hook,    . 
Carter  N.  M.,  Po'keepsie  City, 
Case  John,  Palmer,  181 7. 

Chamberlain  John,  Po'keepsie, 
Chapman  Geo.  B.,  Amenia  Union, 
Cheesraan  John  C,  M.  D.,  New 

York,  (honorary,) 
Chichester  Isaac, 
Child  Caleb,  Poughkeepsie, 

Childs  — . ;  Po'keepsie  City, 

Church  John,         May  11,  1819, 
Cleveland  J.  M.,    Hudson  River 

Hospital, 
Cole  Charles  E.,  Jackson  Corners, 
Conklin    Ebenezer   H.,  Nov,  14, 

1815. 
Conklin  Wm.  J.,  Fishkill, 
Cook  George  W.,  CHnton, 
Cooke  James  S.,      May  9,  1809, 
Cookingham  H.  L.,  Staatsburgh, 
Cooper. John,  Fishkill,  1808. 

Cooper  John,  Poughkeepsie,  Jan. 
22,  1808, 
Cooper  John  R.,  Po'keepsie  City, 
Cornell  Isaac  M.,  New  Hamburgh, 


May  8,  182 1. 
Nov.  9,  1841. 
Jan.    8,   1873. 

Nov.  10,  1829. 

May  14,  1867. 
Nov.  — ,  1823. 
May  12,  1818. 
Nov.  14,  1854. 

May  14,  1816. 


Jan.  12,  1869. 
Sept.  20,  i8o6. 


Nov.  13, 1866. 

Nov.  — ,  1824. 
Nov.  10,  1840. 

Jan.  14,  1868. 
May  10,  1842. 
Jan.  14,  1868. 
Sept.  20,  1806. 


Nov.  14,  1854. 

Nov.  II,  1817. 
Sept.  20,  1806. 

Nov.  12,  181 1. 
June  12,  1878. 
Aug.  9,  1859. 
Jan.  9,  1878. 
Nov.  13,  1866. 

Sept.  20, 1806. 
June  14,  1876. 

May  13,  1834. 
Nov.  II,  1817. 
Sept.  20,  1806. 
May  8,  1838. 
Nov.  8,  1825. 

Jan.  8,  1873. 
June  12,  1872. 


June  8,   1870. 

Sept.  20,  1806. 

Nov.  12,  181 1. 

About  1872. 


May  10,  1808. 

1858. 

Jan.    9,    1878. 


Cortelyou  Lawrence  V.,  Pough- 
keepsie City,  June  II,  1873. 

Couch  John  W.,     May  12,  1818,  May  8,    1821. 

Coutant  G.  E.,  Poughkeepsie,  Jan.  14,  1880. 

Covel  James,  " 

May  II,  1819. 

Cox  John  Palmer,  May  12,  181 7,  May   9,  1820. 

Crosby  Cyrenus,  Amenia,  Apr.  28,  1812. 

Crusie   Thomas  K.,  Wappingers 

I^alls,  Jan.   12,  1875. 

Curtis  Charles  P.,  Fishkill,  June  11, 1873. 

Davis  Jacob  J.  H.,  Mar.  g,    1819,  May  9,  1820. 

Day  Fisher,  Nov.  10,  181 3, 

Dayton  Daniel,  Poughkeepsie,  Sept.  20,  1806. 

Delamater  Abraham,  May  11,  1807. 

Delamater  David  D.,    May    13, 

1817, 

Delavan  David,  Pawling,  Sept.  20,  1806. 

DeLavergne  Benjamin,  Washing- 
ton, Sept.  20, 1806. 

Deming  ,  Sharon,  Ct.,  (hon- 
orary,) June  12,1872. 

Devan  J.  N.,  Pleasant  Valley,  Nov.  13,  1866. 

Devine   Joel,  Poughkeepsie  City, 

1840,  May  II,  1841. 

Dexter  Harmon  H.,  May  10, 1836, 

Deyo  E.,  Poughkeepsie,  Nov.  13, 1866. 

Dodge  David  L.,  Beekman,  May  12,  1818. 

Dodge  Jeremiah,         "  Nov.  — ,  1806. 

Dodge  John,  Jr.,  Poughkeepsie,  Nov.    8,  1808. 

Dodge    John,  Jr.,    Poughkeepsie 

City,  Feb.  15,  1843, 

Dodge  S.,  Poughkeepsie  City,  Nov.  14,  1854. 

Doughty  John  H.,  Matteawan,  Jan.   12,  1869. 

Downs  James,  CUnton,  Sept.  20,  1806. 

Dunning  Philo,       May  i2,  1818,  Nov.   9,   1819. 

Eastman  John  R.,  Nov.    8,  1836. 

Ebstein  L.,  Poughkeepsie,  Nov.  13,  1866. 

Eddy  Caspar  W.,  Rhinebeck,  Nov.  10,  1818. 

Eggleston  John,      May  11,  18 19, 

Ely  William,  Clinton,  Sept.  20, 1806. 

Everitt  Elmore,                   •  Nov.  13, 182 1. 

Ensign  Lee,  Dover,  May  11,  1841. 

Esselstine  Richard,  Red  Hook,  May  9,    1820. 

Eustice  Samuel,  Nov.  10,  1813. 

Everitt  Thos.  T.,  Po'keepsie  City,  Nov.  13,  1832. 

Everts  John,  Nov.    9,  1830. 

Fink  W.  F.,  Sprout  Creek,  Jan.  12,  1870. 

Fletcher  Frederick,  May  12,  1835. 

Foot  Jeremiah,       Feb.  26,  1818, 

Forman  James  H.,  Hopewell  Junc- 
tion, Jan.   9,    1878. 

Fountain  Hosea,  Westchester  Co. 

(honorary,)                           ^  Jan.    8,    1873. 

Fountain  Theodore,  Fishkill,  Nov.  11,  1834. 

Fowler   David,    Orange    County, 

(honorary,)  Nov.  11,  1834. 

Fowler  Peter  D.,  Nov.  10,  1818. 

Fowler  Theodore,  Early. 

Frisby,  Joseph,  Nov.  10, 18 13. 

Gerow  Elizabeth  H.,  Po'keepsie,  June  9,  1875. 

Gilbert  Asher,      March  19, 1822. 

Gilbert  Wheeler,  Red  Hook,  Nov.  12,  181 1. 

Gill  Robert  T.,  Milton,  Nov.  14,  1854. 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Grant   Edmund   F.,   Po'keepsie 
City, 

Gray ,  Hyde  Park, 

Green  L.,  Amenia  Union, 
Green  Lewis,  LaGrangeville, 
Gren  Stephen  S.,  LaGrangeville, 
Greenwood  Matthias  P.,  Po'keep- 
sie City, 
Guernsey  Desault,  Amenia, 
Guernsey  Peter  B.,       do 
Gurnsey  Ezekiel  H.,  Stanford, 
Haight  Charles,  Po'keepsie  City, 
Hall  Asahel,  do  do 

Hall  Larry  G.,  1813. 

Hallock  Israel, 
Halsey  Abraham,  Fishkill, 
Hammond  Thomas,  Dover, 

May  9,  1815, 
Hammond  Thomas,  Dover  Plains, 
Harvey  A.  B.,  Po'keepsie  City, 
Harvey  Clarence  A.,  Po'keepsie, 
Hasbrouck  Stephen,  Poughkeepsie 

City, 
Hasbrouck  Alfred,  Poughkeepsie 

City, 
Hayt  Edwin, 
Helms  Wm.  H.,  Westchester  Co., 

(honorary,) 
Herrick  W.,  Milan, 
Herrick  Walter,  Milan, 
Hewson    Benjamin,    Wappingers 

Falls, 
Hicks  Robert  L., 
Hillis  James  G.,  Po'keepsie  City, 
Hillman  John,  181 5, 

Hoag  Arthur  F.,  Amenia, 
Hoff  Alexander  H.,    Po'keepsie 

.  City, 
Hoflfcut  Obed,  Dover,  Feb.    15, 

1843. 
Holbrook  M.  R.,  Po'keepsie  City, 
Holden  Edwin,  "  " 

Dec.  — ,  1832, 
Hommedieu  Elias  L., 
Hooker  Wm., 

Hopkins  H.  Wm.,  La  Grange, 
Hosack  David,  Hyde  Park,  (hon- 
orary,) 
Rowland  David,  1813. 

Hughson  Benjamin,  1819. 

Hughson  Walter,  Po'keepsie  City, 
Hull  Wm.  B., 
Hunting  J.  M.,  Stanford, 
Huntington  George,  La  Grange- 

ville, 
Hurd  Curtis  J., 
Hurd  George  F., 
Hurd  Darwin  E., 
Hurd  Milo,  Nov.  14,  1815, 

Hustis  C,  Matteawan, 
Ingersoll  Stephen  M., 
Ives  Ansel  W.,  N.  Y.  City,  (hon- 
orary,) 
Jarvis  Milton  B.,    Nov.  23, 1841. 


June  I,  1838. 
Nov.  15, 1859. 
May  14,  1867. 
Nov.  13,  1866. 
1868. 

Nov.  13,  1866. 
Nov.  13,  1866. 
Very  early. 
Sept.  20, 1806. 
Nov.  13, 1827. 
Nov.  10, 1829. 

Very  early. 
Sept.  20,  1806. 

Nov.  13,  1821. 
Nov.  13,  1866. 
Nov.  i4j  [854. 
Jan.  12,  1881. 

May  9,  1820. 

Nov.  14,  1854. 
June  9,  1875- 

Jan.  8,  1873. 
May  14,  1867. 
June  II,  1879. 

May  14,  1822. 
Nov.  II,  1817. 
Nov.  14, 1854. 
Nov.  9,  1819. 
June  II,  1879. 

Nov.  II,  1845. 


Nov.  13,  1866. 

Nov.  12,  1833. 
Nov.  12,  1816. 
May  14,  1822. 
Nov.  12,  1839. 

Nov.  12,  1833. 


Nov.  14,  1837. 
June  12,  1878. 
May  14,  1867. 

June  10,  1874. 
May  — ,  1823. 
Nov.  12, 1833. 
Nov.  10,  1835. 
May  14,  1816. 
Jan.  13,  1875. 
Nov.  9,  1819. 

Nov.  10,  1835. 


Jenkins  James  S.,    May  14,  1835. 

Johnston,  Francis  U.,  N.  Y.  City, 
(honorary,) 

Jourdan  Abra.,  Clermont,     1808. 

Judd  Stoddard,    March  17,  181 9, 

Judd  Uri,  North  East, 

Kellogg    A.    O.,   Hudson    River 
Hospital, 

King  Bennett,  Hyde  Park,  May 
iS>  1834. 

King  John  B., 

Kinkhead  John,  Po'keepsie  City 

Kittridge  C.  M.,  Fishkill-on-Hud- 
son, 

Knapp    A.     H.,    Poughkeepsie, 

Knapp   David   A.,    Union  Vale, 

Knickerbocker      Edward,      Red 
Hook, 

Laffen  Thomas,  Beekman, 

Lamb  Joseph  T.  C,  Poughkeepsie, 

La   Monte   Austin,  Hydg  Park, 

La  Monte  Austin,  Carmel,  (hon- 
orary,) 

Landon  Walter,        Mar.  9,  1819; 

Langdon    Charles    H.,    Hudson 
River  Hospital, 

Lathrop  Wm.,  Washington, 

Leach    George    W.,    Po'keepsie 
City, 

Lente  Frederic  D.,  Cold  Spring, 
(honorary.) 

Livingston    Charles    P.,    Pough- 
keepsie, July  16,  1816. 

Loomis  Robert, 

Losee  Elmore,  Bangall, 

Losee  John,  Red  Hook, 

Manney  James,  Fishkill, 

Marill  J.,  Poughkeepsie  City, 

Marriott  Jonathan, 

Marvin  Jonathan  H., 

Mason  Edgar,  1826. 

McClellan  Chas.  H.  P.,  Po'keep- 
sie City, 

Mead  Isaac  N.,  Amenia, 

Moith  J.  E.,  Fishkill-on-Hudson, 

Mosher  Ehza  M.,  Poughkeepsie, 

Mott    Valentine,    M.    D.,    New 
York  City,  (honorary,) 

Nelson  Thos.  J.,  Rhinebeck,  May 
12,  1818. 

Nelson  Theophilus,  Apr.  2,  1823, 

Newcomb   Andrew  H.,  Pleasant 
Valley,  .  May  17,  1822. 

Newcomb     John     E.,     Pleasant 
Valley, 

Nicholson  Clark  N.,  Beekman, 

Northrop  M.  C,  So.  Dover, 

Noxon  Robert, 

O'Byrne  Wm.  J.,  Po'keepsie  City, 

Orton  Henry  T.,  Washington, 

Osborn  Jedediah  B.,  May  17, 1822. 

Paine  Ichabod  B.,  Amenia, 

Parker  Edward  H.,  Poughkeepsie 
City, 


Nov.  ir,  1834. 

Nov.  9,  1819. 
Sept.  20, 1806. 

Jan.  8,  1874. 


May  12,  1835. 
June  II,  1879. 

Jan.  13,  1875. 
June,  8,  1869. 
Nov.  13,  1866. 

Nov.  13, 1827. 
Sept.  20, 1 806. 
Jan,  14,  1880. 
Nov.  13,  1866. 

June  12,  1872. 


Jan.  12,  1875. 
Sept.  20, 1806. 

Nov.  12, 1833. 

Jan.  12,  1869. 


May  10,  183 1. 
Nov.  16, 1854. 
June  12,  1878. 
Nov.  14, 1809. 
Jan.  13,  1875. 
May  9,  1820. 
May  14,  181:. 


Nov.  8,  1836. 

June  9,  1868. 

June  II,  1879. 

,June  9,  1875. 

May  13,  1834. 


May  — ,  1823. 


Nov.  9,  1830. 
Nov.  15,  1859. 
May  14,  1867. 
Sept.  20, 1806; 
Jan.  8,  1873. 

Nov.  13,  1827. 

« 

May  12,  1818. 
Aug.  9,  1859. 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  MEDICAL  SOCIETY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Ill 


Payne  John  C,  Po'keepsie  City, 
Pearce  Henry,  Pawling, 
Peck  Edgar  F.,  Pine  Plains, 
Peck  Wm.  R., 
Pells  James  F., 
Per  Lee  John  F., 
Perlee  John  S.,  Amenia, 


1820. 
1818. 
May  12, 
i8i8, 
1824. 
1824, 


Perry  John,  Araenia, 
Perry  John,  Jr.,      April 
Piles  Jas.  F.,  (expelled  Sept.  20. 

1820.) 
Pinckney  John,  Fishkill, 
Pine  Per  Lee,  Poughkeepsie  City, 
Pingry  James  O.,  Mabbettsville, 
Piatt  Eliphalet,  Rhinebeck,   Feb. 
26,  1818, 
Plumb  Ovid,  Washington, 
Prentiss  Curtis, 

Price  Eliphalet  Rev.,  (honorary,) 
Proal  Wm.  H.,  Wappingers  Falls, 
Pultz  M.  T.,  Stanfordville, 
Quinlan  Thomas,  CUnton, 
Radclifif  Peter  A.,  Rhinebeck, 
Rapalje  Stephen,  Fishkill,     1809, 
Raymond  Josiah, 
Read  Roswell  P.,  Po'keepsie  City. 
Nov.  — ,  1824. 
Reade  Ebenezer,     April  3,  181 7. 
Remsen  L.,  Fishkill, 
Reynolds  Edw'd  H.,  May  12,1818. 
Rickertson  Shadrach,  Beekman, 
Ring  Jourdan  Lewis,  Hyde  Park, 
Jan.  22,  1808, 
Ring  Lewis,  Rhinebeck,        1808. 
Robertson  Samuel, 
Rockwell  Lyman  E.,  Amenia, 
Rodgers    David,  New  York  City, 

(honorary,) 
Rodgers  David  L.,  New  York  City, 

(honorary,) 
Rogers  Joseph,  Fishkill, 
Ruggles,  Wm.  B.,     May  9,  181 5. 
Schenck  John  P.,  Jr.,  Matteawan, 
Schenck  Peter  D.,  Fishkill, 
Schofield  Peter,  Pawling,  May  9, 

1809, 
Scovel  James,  Pawling, 
Sherrill  Hunting,  Clinton, 
Slack  Henry,  Fishkill-on-Hudson, 
Slater  James,  Poughkeepsie  City, 
Sleight  Henry  D.,  Fishkill,   May 
10,  1808, 
Sleight  Robert  A.,     Nov.  8,  1808. 
Smith  Alexander  H.,  Hyde  Park, 
Smithjohn,  Homer,  Nov.  19,1839, 
Smith  John  W.,  Amenia, 
Smith  Strobridge,  Wappingers  Falls, 
Sowle  Jonathan, 
Stanton  Luke  W.,  Amenia, 
Starr  D.  L.,  Poughkeepsie  City, 
Stevenson   W.  G.,  Poughkeepsie 

City, 
Stewart,  Chas.  N.  F.,  Feb.  26, 1818. 


Nov.  14,  1854. 
Jan.  12,  1869. 
Nov.  9,  1850. 
Nov.  12,  1833. 


May  II,  1819. 
May  II,  1824. 


Sept.  20, 1806. 
May  II,  1841. 
Jan.  II,  1871. 


May  12, 
Nov.  12, 
Nov.  10, 
Jan.  — , 
Nov.  14, 
June  14, 
Sept.  20, 
Nov.  9, 
May  9, 
Nov.  10, 


1818. 
1822. 
1829. 
1823. 

1854- 
187 1. 
1806. 
1803. 
1809. 
1813. 


Nov.  13,  1827. 

May  9,  1815. 

May  8,  i8io. 

Nov.  10,  1835. 
Jan.  II,  1873. 

Nov.  10,  1835. 

Nov.  4,  1834. 
Sept.  20,  1806. 

Nov.  13,  1866. 
Nov.  10,  1818. 

May  8,  1810. 
Sept.  20,  1806. 
Nov.  14,  1809. 
Jan.  8.,  1873. 
Oct.  — ,  1823 

May  10,  1808. 

May  12,  1835. 
May  II,  1841. 
Sept.  20,  1806. 
June  10,  1874. 
Nov.  10, 1813. 
May  14,  1867. 
Nov.  12,  1833. 

About    1873. 


Stillman  D.  E.,  Pine  Plains, 
Stillman  S.,      Millerton, 
Stillman  Sidney,     " 
Stringham    Henry  S.,  Po'keepsie 
City,  Dec.  20,  1833. 

Sutherland  D.    R,    Poughkeepsie 

City, 
Sutton  G.  L.,  East  FishkiU, 
Tabor  J.    Russel,    Poughkeepsie 

City, 
Tallman  Edward  White,   Pough- 
keepsie City,         Feb.  9,  1844. 
Tappen    Enoch   Sawyer,   Pough- 
keepsie, 
Tapping  Elisha  C,  Poughkeepsie 
City,  1813, 

Thatcher  Charles, 
Thomas  John,  Fishkill, 
Thomas  Wm.,  Poughkeepsie,  May 
10,  1808, 
Thompson  Charles  H.,  Fishkill, 
Thorn  James,  " 

Thorn  John  S.,  Washington, 

Tibbies ,  Millerton, 

Todd  Ostrander  D., 
Tomlinson  David,  Rhinebeck, 
Traver  Isaac  H.,  Pleasant  Valley, 
Tredway  Alfred,  Washington, 
Trivett  Elias,  Poughkeepsie,  1814. 
Tuthill    Robert    K.,    Po'keepsie 

City, 
Underbill   Anthony,  New  Hack- 

ensack, 
Upton  George,  La  Grange, 
Upton  George,  " 

Upton  George,  Lagrangeville, 
Vail  Ira  I.,  April  3,  1817, 

Van  Deusen,  N.  M.,  Fishkill, 
Vanderburg  Federal,  Beekman, 
Vanderhofif,  Thomas   P.,  Rhine- 
beck, Oct.  31,  1826. 
Van  Duser  A.  E.,  Po'keepsie  City, 
Van  Kleeck    Baltus   L.,    Pough- 
keepsie, 
Van     Kleeck      J.      Livingston, 

Poughkeepsie, 
Vanvliet   Isaac  F.,  Rhinebeck, 
Van  Wyck  E.,  New  Hamburgh, 
Varick    Richard    A.,   Po'keepsie 

City, 
Vermilyea  John  K.,  Beekman, 
Waldo  Charles,  Poughkeepsie, 
Ward  David  B.,  Po'keepsie  City, 
Ward  Jonathan,  Poughkeepsie, 
Watt  James, 

Webb  DeWitt,  Poughkeepsie, 
Webster  Helen  W.,  Vassar  College, 
Weed  J.,  Amenia, 
Wellraan     George     M.,     Dover 

Plains, 
Wheeler     Gamaliel,    Rhinebeck, 

1808, 
Wheeler  N.  W.,  Patterson,  (hon- 
orary,) 


May  14,  1867. 
May  14,  1867. 
June  9,  1868. 


June  10,  1874. 
Nov.  13,  1866. 

June  10,  1874. 


May  14,  181 1. 

Nov.  13,  1827. 
May  12,  1835. 
Sept.  20,  1806. 


Nov. 
June 
Sept. 
Nov. 
May 
Nov. 
Sept. 
June 
Nov. 


8,  1808. 

9,  1868. 
20, 1806. 
14,  1854. 
14,  1867. 
II,  1834. 
20, 1806. 
I,  1837. 

— ,  1806. 


Nov.  13,  1866. 


Jan.  12, 
May  13, 
Nov.  II, 
Nov.  13, 
May  12, 
Nov,  IS, 
May  8, 


1869 
1834, 

1845 
1866 
1818 

1859 
1810, 


Nov.  13,  1 866. 

Sept.  20,  1806. 

Sept.  23, 1806. 
Nov.  13,  1866. 
June  9,  1875. 

Nov.  13, 1827. 
Nov.  9,  1830. 
Sept.  20, 1806. 
June  II,  1879. 
Nov.  II,  1807. 
May  14,  1867. 
Nov.  13, 1866. 
June  9,  1875. 
May  14,  1867. 

June  14, 1871. 

Nov.  13, 1827. 

June  12,  1872. 


112 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Wheeler  Wm.  W.,  Rhinebeck, 
White  Bartow,  Fishkill, 
White  Howell,  Fishkill, 
White  Lewis  H.,  Fishkill, 
White    Oliver,   New  York   City, 
(honorary,)         June  ii,  1873. 
Wilber  Aaron,  Amenia, 
Wilber  S.,  Amenia,  Feb.  26, 18 18. 
Wilbur  Benjamin  S.,  Amenia, 
Wilbur  H.  C,  Pine  Plains, 


Sept.  20, 1806. 
Sept.  20, 1806. 
Jan.  14,  1880. 
Nov.  10,  1829. 


May  14,  1822. 


May  14,  1822. 
May  14,  1867. 
Williams  A.  A.  C,  Poughkeepsie,  Nov.  13,  1866. 
Williams,  Wm.  S.,  Feb.  26,  1818,  Nov.  10,  1818. 
Williamson  Phebe  Thome,  Wash- 
ington, June  12,  1878. 
Wilson  John  P.,  Pleasant  Valley,  June  12,  1872. 

Wilson  Stephen,       Nov.  8,  1808, 

Witherwaxjohn  M.,  July  13,  1835 

Wooley  Milton,  Clinton,  Dec.  7,   1843. 

Wortman  Dennis,  May  13,  1817,  May  12,  1818. 
Wright   Amaziah,    Poughkeepsie, 

1809,  Nov.  14,  1809. 

Wright  J.  Williston,  Poughkeepsie,  Nov.  13,  1866. 

Wyman  R.,  Nov.  12,  1833. 

Young  John,  Fishkill  Landing,  Jan.  11,  187 1. 

The  Homeopathic  Medical  Society  of  Duch- 
ess County. — The  therapeutics  of  the   homeop- 
athic school  of  medicine  is  founded  on  the  theory 
of  similia  similibus  curantur.     The  principle  was 
discovered  by  Samuel  Hahnemann,  who  was  born 
in  Meissen,  in  the  province  of  Saxony,  April  lo, 
1755-     He  was  an  accompKshed  and  skillful  prac- 
titioner of  the  old  school  of  medicine,  and  having 
proved  certain  remedies  upon  himself  and  others, 
he  abandoned  a  lucrative  practice  under  govern- 
ment patronage,  at  Gommern,  near  Magdeburg,  on 
account  of  conscientious  scruples  against  adminis- 
tering drugs  according  to  the  vague  formulas  then 
in  use,  and  in  1796,  first  enunciated  the  principles 
of  homeopathy,  the  practice  of  which  he   com- 
menced in  his  native  place.     He  was  soon  driven 
from  thence  by  the  bitter  opposition  he  encoun- 
tered, to  Paris,  where  he  met  with   success   and 
secured  converts,  among  whom  was  Dr.  Hans  B. 
Gram  of  Copenhagen,  an  American  by  birth,  who 
having  won  the  highest  grade  of  merit  in  the  Royal 
Academy  of  Surgery  in  that  city,  came  to   New 
York  in  1825,  and  introduced  the  new   practice 
into  America,  continuing  it  in  that  city  till  his 
death  in  1840,  three  years  previous  to  that  of  his 
preceptor,  Hahnemann,  who  died  in  Paris  in  1843. 
The  new  system  spread  rapidly,  notwithstanding 
the  prejudice  and  bitter  opposition  against  it,  and 
was  first  introduced  into  Duchess  county,  in  the 
town  of  CKnton,  in  1835  or  '36.     The  first  known 
case  of  treatment   by  "similars,"   says   Dr.  J.  F. 
Merritt,  late  of  Pleasant  Plains,  in  his  History  of 
Homeopathy  in  Duchess  County,  in  1865,  "was  one 


of  chronic  rheumatism  of  twenty  years'  standing — 
twenty  years  of  almost  unrelieved   suffering   and 
anguish.     The  fame  of  an  early  pioneer  of  home- 
opathy in  Albany  reached  her,  and  she  sent  for 
him,  hoping  that  the  thorny  pillow  of  pain   and 
death  might  yet  be  softened.     The  doctor  came, 
and  with  his   Liliputian   remedies   came   a  relief 
she  had  long  before  ceased  to  expect  in  this  life. 
The  fame  of  a  partial  cure  of  a  case  so  aggravated 
soon  spread  in  the  vicinity.  *  *  *   It  was  not  long 
before  the  tidal  wave  that  bore  to  our  shores  the 
skill  and  erudition  of  Gram  sent  its  pulsations  up 
along  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  bringing  us  frag- 
mentary   evidences    of    that    terra    incognita   in 
medicine,  which  was  soon  to  loom  up  to  our  view. 
Thus  residents  of  our  county  while  living  in  New 
York  during  the  winter,  became  patrons   of  the 
system,  and  when  they  returned  to  their  country 
residences  in  the  summer,  brought  with  them  glow- 
ing accounts  of  the  beneficent  works  it  had  already 
entered  upon,  and  even  sent  for  their  city  physi- 
cians   in    many    instances    of  sickness  in   their 
families.  *  *  *  The   easy  administration   of  the 
remedies   and  their   prompt   and  efficient  action 
soon  won   adherents.     Thus,  little  by  Httle,  was 
homeopathy  introduced  to  the  attention,  but  not 
yet  commended  to  the  confidence  of  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  inhabitants  of  Duchess  county.  *  *  * 
"  Followers  of  the  new  faith  soon  elevated  our 
standard   at   various  points   along   the    Hudson. 
Early,  if  not  the  earliest,  among  those  who  were 
instrumental  in  introducing  homeopathy  into  this 
county,  was  he  who  was  the  fearless  defender  of  our 
cause  when  most  it  needed  such  a  defense  as  he 
alone  could  give,  and  as  his  reward,  he  is  now,  in 
his    declining    years,   crowned   with    well-earned 
honor— Dr.  Federal  Vanderburg,  though  past  the 
zenith  of  his  life  physically,  yet  in  Ufe  intellectually 
he  is  still  fresh  and  athletic— our  own   president 
and^  father  in  medicine.  *  *  *  A  resident  practi- 
tioner in   New  York   City,  he  became  an  early 
convert   to  the  teachings  of  Gram,  *  *  *  [and] 
was  soon  standing  in  the  arena  side  by  side  with 
Gram,  Gray,  Hering,  Hull,  Wesselhceft  and  others 
like  memorable.  *  *  * 

"  One  of  the  first  recruits  enlisted  by  him  was  Dr. 
Hall,  then  of  Fishkill,  but  for  the  past  twenty  years 
or  more  a  resident  practitioner  of  Poughkeepsie. 
This  was  in  1 83  7  or  1 83  8.  Not  far  from  this  period 
homeopathy  was  introduced  into  Poughkeepsie  by 
Dr.  Formel,  a  German  of  considerable  repute. 
He  remained  only  a  short  time  and  was  succeeded 
by  Dr.  Hall,  first  mentioned. 


HOMEOPATHIC  MEDICAL  SOCIETY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


"3 


"  Another  of  those  who  were  induced  by  Dr. 
Vanderburg  to  embrace  the  doctrines  of  Hahne- 
mann, at  an  early  period  in  our  history,  was  the 
Rev.  James  Lillie,  at  that  time  the  pastor  of  the 
Reformed  Dutch  Church  of  Rhinebeck.  While 
Dr.  Vanderburg  was  negotiating  for  the  purchase 
of  'Linwood,'  his  [subsequent]  residence  on  the 
river,  Rev.  Mr.  Lillie  was  accidentally  thrown  in 
his  way.  A  casual  acquaintance  ripened  into 
friendship  until  Mr.  Lillie  was  induced  to  put  him- 
self under  the  doctor's  treatment  for  taenia  solium. 
The  result  was  so  successful  that  Mr.  Lillie  was 
favorably  impressed  with  the  new  system.  But  he 
was  not  the  man  to  receive  it  as  a  demonstration 
until  he  should  have  made  a  more  thorough  test. 
Having  spent  four  years  in  the  University  of  Edin- 
burgh, one  of  which  was  partially  devoted  to  the 
study  of  medicine,  during  which  he  had  acquired  a 
taste  for  the  profession,  he  was  prompted  to  un- 
dertake the  task  of  investigating  the  system  of 
homeopathy.  *  *  *  in  1840,  we  find  the  pastor 
and  physician  contributing  to  both  the  bodily  and 
spiritual  comfort  of  his  parishioners.  *  *  *  But  it 
was  with  reluctance  that  he  consented  in  any  case 
to  undertake  the  treatment  of  the  sick.  *  *  *  in 
1841  or  '42,  Mr.  Lillie  removed  to  New  York  City, 
where,  in  due  course  of  time,  he  graduated  at  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  and,  with  the 
assistance  of  his  friend  and  preceptor^  Dr.  Vander- 
burg, commenced  a  practice  at  once  remunerative 
and  successful.  Thence  he  removed  to  Toronto, 
some  ten  years  since,  and  has  since  returned  to 
Scotland,  the  land  of  his  birth.  *  *  * 

"In  1842,  Dr.  Vanderburg  removed  to  Rhine- 
beck,  and  first  became  a  resident  practitioner  of 
our  county.  *  *  * 

"The  next  accession  *  *  *  was  that  of  Dr. 
Charles  Haight,  then  of  Hartsville.  In  the  midst 
of  a  large  and  lucrative  practice  overtasking  his 
physical  strength,  he  was  induced  after  repeated 
tests  to  abandon  the  old  in  favor  of  the  new  system. 
This  was  at  a  time  when  such  a  change  was  tanta- 
mount to  casting  aside  the  means  of  comfortable 
subsistence ;  at  least  such  was  the  prospect  which 
at  that  time  and  in  that  section  opened  before  the 
pioneer  but  *  *  *  by  steady,  persevering  effort,  he 
*  *  *  re-established  his  originally  extensive  prac- 
tice, which  eventually  became  more  incessant  and 
laborious  than  before.  He  subsequently  removed 
to  Poughkeepsie,  where  he  still  continues  to 
practice. 

"In  1843,  we  note  the  advent  to  our  county, 
and  almost  simultaneously  to  homeopathy,  of  Dr. 


Martin  Freligh,  of  Saugerties.  *  *  *  i^ 
1836  or '37,  a  friend  of  the  doctor's  in  Catskill, 
having  been  cured  by  a  few  simple  powders  pre- 
scribed by  Dr.  Vanderburg,  then  of  New  York 
City,  he  was  induced  to  visit  the  city  for  the  pur- 
pose of  having  a  personal  interview  with  Dr.  Van- 
derburg on  the  subject  of  homeopathy.  Finding 
the  Doctor  professionally  engaged,  he  was  directed 
to  call  on  Dr.  Channing,  then  in  Broadway,  by  whom 
he  was  '  politely  received  andad  vised  to  purchase  the 
Orgatwn,  Ruoffs  Repertory,  Everefs,  JDunsford's, 
and  /ahr's  Manuals,  and  Henderson  &=  Forbes.' 
But  it  was  not  until  his  removal  to  Rhinebeck, 
at  the  period  above  named,  and  his  subsequent  ac- 
quaintance with  Dr.  Vanderburg,  that  he  was  led 
fully  to  adopt  the  new  system  of  medicine.  *  *  * 
In  1850,  Dr.  Freligh  removed  to  Ne^y  York  City, 
where,  in  an  enlarged  sphere,  he  continued  to  prac- 
tice until  within  two  or  three  years,  when  he  retired. 
George  Lorillard,  John  Augustine  Kiersted  and 
Tabias  S.  Ring  all  studied  medicine  in  his  office. 
Lorillard  took  his  degree  from  the  Albany  Medical 
College  in  1847.  Kiersted  and  Ring  received 
theirs  from  the  University  Medical  College  of  New 
York  in  1848,  '  all  three  confirmed  homeopaths.' 
In  tracing  the  history  of  these  young  men  allow  me 
to  do  it  in  the  language  of  their  preceptor. 
He  says,  '  Dr.  Lorillard's  practice  has  been  and  is 
at  present  purely  philanthropic,  complimentary  to 
himself — a  charity  to  the  poor,  as  I  believe  he  has 
never  received  a  fee  for  his  professional  services. 
Dr.  Kiersted  was  a  young  man  of  brilliant  intellect, 
and  had  his  life  been  spared,  would  have  adorned 
the  profession  of  his  choice,  but  he  was  compelled 
to  relinquish  its  practice  in  about  two  years  after 
his  graduation,  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-six 
of  consumption.  Dr.  Ring  is  in  full  practice  at 
Yorkville,  and  continues  an  unwavering  homeo- 
path.'* 

"  In  1849,  Dr.  Freligh,  removing  to  New  York, 
was  succeeded  at  Rhinebeck  by  Dr.  Rodman 
Bartlett  of  Pine  Plains,  who  at  once  commenced 
the  investigation  of  homeopathy  and  in  due  time 
became  a  competent  prescriber  of  homeopathic 
remedies.! 

"  At  a  period  perhaps  a  little  anterior  to  this,  in 
1844  or  '45,  Dr.  Calvin  P.  Guernsey,  long  a  prac- 
titioner of  the  old  system  in  Chnton,  being  sur- 
rounded in  his  practice  by  a  great  array  of  cures 
effected  by  homeopathic  treatment,  was  led  to  the 
study  and  test  of  the  new  system.     He  soon  gave 

*  He  left  the  county  before  1854. 
t  Removed  to  New  York  in  1855. 


114 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


iQ  his  adhesion  to  the  doctrines  of  similia,  in  which 
he  continued  a  consistent  believer  up  to  the  period 
of  his  death  from  phthisis-pulmonalis  in  1856. 
Associated  with  him  for  a  short  time  preceding  his 
death  was  Dr.  O.  D.  Cass,  who,  in  like  manner, 
adopted  the  system  of  his  senior  partner.  Dr.  Cass 
remained  only  a  short  tibe,  as  Dr.  Guernsey's 
business  having  been  divided  among  former  pupils 
practicing  in  the  vicinity,  there  was  insufficient 
ground  remaining  unoccupied  to  warrant  him  m 
continuing. 

"  Dr.  Ephraim  Case*  of  Clinton  Corners,  in  the 
township  of  Clinton,  next  joined  himself  to  our 
cause.  *  *  *  He  was  one  of  the  earhest  pupils 
of  Dr.  Guernsey.  *  *  *  In  1852  or '.53  Dr. 
Bartlett  removed  to  New  York,  and  was  succeeded 
in  Rhinebeck  by  Dr.  G.  C.  Lansing,  a  young  prac- 
titioner of  the  old  system  in  Milan.  *  *  * 
Dr.  Lansing,  *  *  *  for  twelve  years,  has  main- 
tained untarnished  the  standard  raised  by  the  in- 
domitable LilHe.     *    *    * 

"In  the  fall  of  1854,  homeopathy  in  Poughkeep- 
sie  received  afresh  impetus  by  the  accession  to  the 
profession  in  that  place  of  Dr.  John  Hornby,  of 
Brooklyn.  Like  many  others,  becoming  dissatis- 
fied with  the  uncertainty  of  remedies  administered 
upon  the  principal  of  contraria,  he  was  so  far  pre- 
pared for  the  investigation  of  a  system  of  medicine 
that  promised  to  give  certainty  for  uncertainty  and 
to  guide  the  way  to  uniform  success. 

"  Dr.  Hornby  was  for  seventeen  years  Assistant 
Surgeon  in  the  British  service  in  Bengal,  and 
brought  us  the  fruits  of  his  observation  on  the 
diseases  incident  to  the  camp  and  climes  of  that 
tropical  region.  Dr.  Hornby  has  become  favor- 
ably known  by  his  valuable  contributions  on  various 
medical  topics,  f 

"Dr.  Ernst  F.  Hoffman  *  *  *  marked  his 
advent  to  the  doctorate  in  1852,  by  his  almost  sim- 
ultaneous adoption  of  homeopathy.  Having  pre- 
pared himself  by  an  attendance  upon  the  Homeo- 
pathic Dispensary  in  Bond  street,  under  the  in- 
struction of  Drs.  Otto  FulgrofiF and  Ixonard  Marcy, 
he  came  to  Poughkeepsie,  and  entered  into  co- 
partnership with  Dr.  Hall  for  the  general  practice 
of  medicine  and  surgery.'' 

Dr.  J.  F.  Merritt  "  graduated  from  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  1852,  practiced  allop- 
athy three  years,  and  in  1855  investigated  home- 
opathy, at  the  instance  of4wo  gentlemen,  old  school 
practitioners,    between    whom    and    [himself]    a 

»  He  practiced  at  Clinton  Comers,  till  his  death  in  1876, 
t  He  continues  his  practice  here  to  the  present  time. 


business  co-partnership  existed  at  the  time.  The 
result  was  the  adoption  of  the  practice  of  home- 
opathy. This  was  continued  until  the  dissolution 
of  the  co-partnership,  by  mutual  consent,  in  the 
fall  of  1855,  on  account  of  the  ill  health  of"  Dr. 
Merritt. 

"  In  1857,  Dr.  Kornbach,  formerly  a  Surgeon  in 
the  Prussian  army,  opened  an  office  in  Pough- 
keepsie. His  slight  acquaintance  with  the  language 
and  customs  of  this  country  rendered  his  inter- 
course with  Americans  a  source  of  but  little  satis- 
faction to  himself.  He  left  for  London  in  t86o. 
Dr.  S.  G.  Cooke,  a  graduate  of  the  University 
Medical  College  of  New  York,  first  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  in  Verbank  in  this  county, 
whence  he  removed  to  Stanfordville  about  four  or 
five  years  ago,  at  which  time  he  embraced  homeop- 
athy. He  was  one  of  the  first  to  take  an  active 
part  in  the  formation  of  the  Duchess  County 
Homeopathic  Medical  Society.  *  *  *  in 
1862,  he  took  the  position  of  Assistant  Surgeon  in 
the  isoth  New  York  Infantry."  He  never  re- 
turned to  Duchess  county.  Dr.  Laurie  succeeded 
Dr.  Cooke  at  Stanfordville.  He  adopted  homeop- 
athy in  1855  or  '56,  in  Rhinebeck,  where,  for  a 
short  time,  he  took  the  business  of  Dr.  G.  C.  Lan- 
sing. He  removed  to  Pleasant  Valley  about  1858 
or '59,  and  thence  to  Stanfordville  in  1862.  He 
removed  to  New  York,  about  1867.  "Recently 
Dr.  B.  Lansing  has  reared  the  standard  of  home- 
opathy in  Hyde  Park,  one  of  the  few  towns  in 
this  county  in  which  our  system  had  not  yet  been 
introduced.  Dr.  Walter  R.  Case,  [son  of  Dr. 
Ephraim  Case,  of  Clinton  Comers,]  a  graduate  of 
the  New  York  Homeopathic  Medical  College  at 
the  late  commencement,  has  just  entered  upon  the 
work  in  Clinton,  [where  he  is  still  practicing.] 
Dr.  Burroughs,  of  Brooklyn,  has  recently  taken  up 
his  residence  at  Poughkeepsie  as  a  practitioner  of 
our  system."  He  left  very  shortly  after  he  came 
here. 

"  I  reserve  for  the  last  the  notice  of  two  pio- 
neers of  homeopathy.  Dr.  Davis,  deceased,  of  Pine 
Plains,  and  Dr.  DeLaMontagnie,  of  Fishkill.  The 
first  for  many  years  toiled  on  single-handed  and 
alone  and  by  unaided  effort,  without  a  single 
neighboring  practitioner  of  his  faith  to  cheer  him 
by  word  of  encouragement,  to  build  upon  the  foun- 
dation of  similia  the  superstructure  of  a  practice 
that  will  stand  both  as  a  monument  of  his  assiduity 
and  ability,  and  an  honor  to  the  name  of  Hahne- 
mann. Dr.  Davis  died  several  years  since.  Dr. 
DeLaMontagnie  is  also  entitled  to  a  rank  among 


HOMEOPATHIC  MEDICAL  SOCIETY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


"S 


the  pioneers.  But  insufficient  data  as  to  dates  and 
circumstances  renders  it  impossible  to  accord  to 
either  of  these  gentlemen  that  place  in  this  sketch 
to  which  their  respective  talents  and  acquirements 
indisputably  entitle  them. 

"  By  way  of  an  addendum,  I  would  subjoin  the 
additional  names  of  Dr.  Baxter,  of  Wappingers 
Falls,  and  Dr.  Scofield,  who  practiced  home- 
opathy for  a  short  time  in  Poughkeepsie  about  ten 
years  ago,  but  whose  career  was  cut  short  by 
phthisis  while  he  was  comparatively  young."  Dr. 
William  Baxter  died  in  practice  at  Wappingers 
Falls  about  1876  or  '77,  and  is  succeeded  there 
by  his  son. 

Dr.  Asa  Hall  continued  his  practice  in  Pough- 
keepsie till  his  death  in  1873.  He  was  at  his 
death  a  very  old  man. 

Federal  Vanderburg,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Beekman,  May  11,  1788.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  he  entered  upon  the  study  of  medicine 
with  Dr.  Wright,  a  physician  of  celebrity,  at  New 
Milford,  Conn.,  whence  he  removed  to  New  York 
City,  to  avail  himself  of  the  advantages  of  its 
hospitals  and  colleges.  In  that  city  he  entered  the 
office  of  Dr.  Smith,  a  leading  physician  of  that 
day,  and  after  completing  his  curriculum,  graduated 
before  twenty-one  years  old.  He  married  a  lady 
of  New  Milford,  Conn.,  and  in  1812-13  removed 
to  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  till  1830, 
when,  having  restored  his  previously  delicate 
health,  he  returned  to  New  York  City  and  there  be- 
came acquainted  with  the  celebrated  Dr.  Gram, 
from  whom  he  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  new 
method  of  treatment  discovered  by  Hahnemann. 
In  1834,  he  was  associated  with  the  pioneers  of 
homeopathy  in  the  establishment  of  the  American 
Journal  of  Homeopathy.  In  New  York  he  estab- 
lished a  lucrative  practice  among  the  wealthy  por- 
tion of  its  inhabitants.  In  1840,  he  removed  to  a 
farm  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  where  he  re- 
sided and  practiced  till  his  death.  He  introduced 
and  promulgated  homeopathy  in  Duchess  county, 
and  made  many  valuable  contributions  to  its  litera- 
ture. He  was  enthusiastic  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  and  benevolent  in  disposition.  He 
died  Jan.  23,  1868,  in  the  80th  year  of  his  age, 
from  a  severe  attack  of  pleuro-pneumonia,  brought 
on  by  exposure  to  inclement  weather  while  visiting 
a  patient. 

Dr.  Lorillard  is  now  living  in  Rhinebeck,  but 
not  in  active  practice,  except  that  he  gives  gratui- 
tous advice.  Gratuitous  services  have  always 
characterized  his   practice,  his    abundant    wealth 


making  it  unnecessary  for  him  to  pursue  his  pro- 
fession for  profit,  or  as  a  means  of  gaining  a  liveli- 
hood. He  belongs  to  the  well-known  Lorillard 
family  of  New  York. 

Dr.  Freligh  was  the  first  convert  to  homeopathy 
in  Ulster  county.     He  is  now  in  New  York  City. 

Dr.  G.  C.  Lansing  retnoved  to  New  York  City 
about  1869  or  '70,  and  is  still  in  practice  there. 

Dr.  Ernst  F.  Hoffman  removed  to  New  York 
about  1870,  and  is  still  in  practice  there. 

Jesse  F.  Merritt,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Hyde  Park, 
Jan.  22,  1831,  and  acquired  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  place.  He  commenced  the 
study  of  medicine  in  1848,  with  Drs.  Piatt  and 
Nelson,  of  Rhinebeck.  At  the  recommendation 
of  Dr.  Vanderburg  he  subsequently  removed  to 
New  York  City,  and  graduated  in  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  1852.  He  married 
and  established  himself  in  practice  at  Hyde  Park, 
but  in  1854  removed  to  Rhinebeck,  at  the  solicita- 
tion of  his  preceptors,  Drs.  Piatt  and  Nelson, 
with  whom  he  entered  into  professional  co-partner- 
ship. In  1855,  he  was  compelled  to  leave  practice, 
and  travel  in  the  Southern  States  for  his  health 
which  became  impaired  by  an  attack  of  hemorrhage 
from  the  lungs.  In  1856,  he  returned  to  Albany, 
N.  Y.,  and  resided  there  with  his  family  till  the 
following  winter,  when,  his  health  being  much  im- 
proved, he  returned  to  this  county  and  located  at 
Pleasant  Plains,  where  he  established  an  extensive 
and  lucrative  practice,  and  remained  till  his  death, 
which  occurred  March  30,  1868,  though  failing 
health  had  compelled  him  to  abandon  practice  in 
August,  1866.  He  was  chiefly  instrumental  in  the 
organization  of  the  Homeopathic  Medical  Society 
of  Duchess  county. 

Dr.  Benjamin  Lansing  practiced  in  Rhinebeck 
till  his  death  in  1880. 

In  i860,  the  subject  of  the  organization  of  a 
County  Medical  Society  was  pressed  upon  the  at- 
tention of  the  homeopathic  physicians  of  Duchess 
county  by  the  efficient  Secretary  of  the  State 
Homeopathic  Medical  Society,  Horace  M.  Paine, 
M.  D.  His  efforts  were  for  a  time  unavailing,  but 
never  intermitted.  At  length,  receiving  a  second 
and  very  urgent  appeal  from  him.  Dr.  J.  F.  Merritt 
caused  to  be  published  in  the  two  weekly  papers 
in  Poughkeepsie,  a  card  to  homeopathic  physi- 
cians, naming  a  time  and  place  of  meeting  of  those 
favoring  an  immediate  organization.  Personal  in- 
terviews were  had  with  several,  and  others  were 
reached  by  written  communications.  Accordingly 
a   meeting  was   held  at   the  Gregory  House  in 


ii6 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Poughkeepsie,  Nov.  27,  1861,  at  which  the  Home- 
opathic Medical  Society   of  Duchess   County  was 
formed,  and  the  following  officers  chosen  :     Fed- 
eral Vanderburg,  Rhinebeck,  President ;  Ephraim 
Case,  Clinton  Corners,  Vice-President ;  Ernst  F. 
Hoffman,  of  Poughkeepsie,  Secretary  and  Treas- 
urer;   John   Hornby,  Poughkeepsie,    Stephen  G. 
Cook,  Stanfordville,  and  Jesse  F.  Merritt,  Pleas- 
ant Plains,  Censors.     A  constitution  and  by-laws 
were  then  adopted.     Article  5  of  the  constitution 
makes  "  any  regularly  licensed  physician  who  has 
complied  with  the  requisitions  of  the  laws  of  the 
State  and  who  shall  avow  his  belief   in  the  home- 
opathic maxim,  similia  similibus  curantur,  eligible 
to  membership  on  a  majority  vote  of  the  members 
present  at  a  regular  meeting."     Article  6  provides 
that  a  regular  annual  meeting  of  the  Society  shall 
be  held  on  the  fourth  Wednesday  of  November, 
in  the  city  of  Poughkeepsie,  and   a   semi-annual 
meeting,  on  the  fourth  Wednesday  of  May  of  each 
year,  at  the  same  place.     Section  8  of  the  by-laws 
makes  it  "  the  duty  of  every  member  to  make  a 
written  communication   at  every  regular  meeting 
upon  some  matter  pertaining  to  the  general  interests 
of  medical  science."     Section  1 1  says,  "  the  initia- 
tion  fee   shall  be   two   dollars,"   and    "at   every 
annual  meeting  a  tax  not  exceeding  in  amount  one 
dollar  may  be  assessed  upon  each  member  of  the 
Society,  by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the  members 
present." 

Previousto  1857,  homeopathic  societies  existed  as  ' 
informal  associations  only,  having  no  legal  status. 
April  13, 1857,  the  Legislature  authorized  the  forma- 
tion of  homeopathic  county  medical  societies,  with 
equal  privileges  and  immunities  enjoyed  by  so- 
called  allopathic  medical  associations.  April  17 
1862,  the  Legislature  passed  an  act  to  incorporate 
the  Homeopathic  Medical  Society  of  the  State  of 
New  York.  Under  that  act  a  re-organization  was 
effected  whereby  county  societies  then  existing  be- 
came auxiliary  to  the  State  society,  and  the 
following  year  it  was  formally  inaugurated. 

At  the  second  meeting  of  the  society  in  Febru- 
ary, 1862,  Dr.  Vanderburg  read  a  paper  on  the 
"  Problem  of  Life,"  which  was  deposited  in  the 
archives  of  the  society  for  future  discussion.  Ac- 
counts of  interesting  cases  in  practice  were  given 
verbally  by  Drs.  Cook,  Merritt  and  Hornby.  The 
following  standing  committees  were  appointed :  F. 
Vanderburg,  Theory  and  Practice  of  Medicine ;  S. 
G.  Cook,  Special  Pathology  and  Therapeutics  \  J 
F^  Merritt,  Prevailing  Epidemics;  J.  Hornby 
Homeopathic  Treatment  of  Surgical  Cases ;  E  f' 


Hoffman,  Diseases  of  Females  and  Children.  At 
this  meeting  it  was  resolved  to  meet  quarterly. 
At  the  third  meeting,  in  May,  1862,  Dr.  Hornby 
read  a  report  on  the  homeopathic  treatment  of 
surgical  cases,  which  was  continued  at  the  meeting 
of  May,  1863,  and  published  in  the  Transactions 
of  the  State  Medical  Society,  Vol.  II.,  1864.  In  No- 
vember, 1863,  Dr.  J.  F.  Merritt  made  a  very  able 
report  of  cases  of  diphtheria,  epidemics,  etc., 
which  was  published  in  the  volume  just  alluded  to. 
Nov.  30,  1864,  the  time  of  annual  meeting  was 
changed  to  the  first  Tuesday  in  October,  and  the 
semi-annual  meeting  to  the  first  Tuesday  in  April 
of  each  year. 

April  2,  1867,  communications  from  Dr.  Jones, 
of  Albany,  and  the  Secretary  of  the  State  Society, 
were  read,  "  and  it  was  resolved  that  members  of 
the  society  be  requested  to  use  their  personal  in- 
fluence with  their  patrons,  and  endeavor  to  procure 
homeopathic  treatment  to  be  adopted  by  the 
authorities  in  the  new  insane  asylum  to  be  erected 
near  this  city." 

Oct.  6,  1868,  it  was  resolved :  "  That  the  code 
of  medical  ethics  adopted  by  the  American  Insti- 
tute of  Homeopathy,  at  their  21st  annual  session 
held  at  St.  Louis  in  June,  1868,  be  the  standard 
of  professional  behavior  among  the  members  of 
this  society." 

No  meetings  are  recorded  between  Oct.  10,  187 1, 
and  April  7,  1874;  nor  between  Oct.  5,  1875,  and 
Oct.  4,  1880. 

The  following  named  gentlemen  have  served  the 
society  in  the  capacity  of  president : — 
Federal  Vanderburg,*  i86i-i866.t 

L  S.  P.  Lord,  1867-1871.1 

Ephraim  Case,  1874. 

John  Hornby,  1875-1881! 

The  following  have  been  the  members  of  the  so- 
ciety ffom  its  organization  to  the  present  time,  with 
the  date  of  admission  : — 

Avery  Edward  W.,§  Poughkeepsie,  Oct.    6,    1868. 
Avery  Henry  N.,||  "  Qct.    i,    1867. 

Baxter  Wilham,1[  Wappingers  Falls,  Oct.    6,    1868. 
Baxter  William,  Jr.,         "  «     Oct.    6,    1874. 

Belden  Charles  D.,**  Fishkill,  Oct.   6,    1868. 

Buckingham  W.  E.,  Milton,  Ulster 
^^°u°ty,  April— ,1870. 

Case  Ephraim,  Clinton  Corners,       Nov.  27,  1861. 

•  Dr.  Vanderburg  resigned  the  office  in  1867  by  reason  of  age  and  in- 
firmities. 

t  There  was  no  election  in  1865,  because  there  was  no  quorum  present. 

t  No  election  is  recorded  in  1870,  '72  and  '7J. 

§  Dr.  E.  W.  Avery  removed  to  Utica  in  1869,  to  undertake , the  study 
oflaw  with  his  father  in  Clinton,  Oneida  county. 

II  Dr.  H.  N.Avery  removed  in  1869. 

H  Deceased. 

**  Removed. 


T«E  DUHCESS  COUNTY  MUTUAL  INSURANCE  COMPANY. 


117 


Case  Walter  R.,  Harts  Village,  April  2,  1867. 

Cook  Stephen  G.,*  Stanfordville,  Nov.  27,  1861. 

Gidley  Wm.  H.,  Moore's  Mills,  Oct.    5,    1875. 

Haight  Alonzo,  Oct.    5,    1875. 

Haight  Charles,  Poughkeepsie,  Oct.    6,    1874. 

Hall  A,  "  

Hartley  John  Fletcher,  "  Oct.    5,    1875. 

Hoffman  Ernst  F.,*      "  Nov.  27,  1861. 

Hornby  John,               "  Nov.  27,  1861. 

Howland  Anne  C,        "  Oct.    5,    1875. 

Hubbard  Levi,t            "  Oct.  — ,  1866. 

Lansing  Benjatnin,1[,§  Hyde  Park,- 

Lansing  G.  C.,*  Rhinebeck,  May  25,  1864. 

Lansing  Taylor,  Poughkeepsie,  Oct.    6,    1874. 

Lord  L  S.  P.,t               "  Oct.    I,    1867. 

Lorillard  George,  Rhinebeck,  Nov.  30,  1864. 

Merritt  Jesse  P., §  Pleasant  Plains,  Nov.  27,  1861. 

Mitchell  Geo.  B.  I.,  Fishkill  Ldg.,  Oct.    5,    1875. 

Otis  John  C,  Poughkeepsie,  April  6,  1869. 
Paine    Horace    M.,    Oneida   Co., 

(honorary,)  April  4,   1865. 

Throop  A.  P.,*  Poughkeepsie,  Oct.   19,  1880. 

Vanderburgh  D.  W.,|j  Rhinebeck,  April  2,  1867. 

Vanderburg  Federal,§              "  Nov.  27,  1861. 

Whiton  Milo  James,  Fishkill,  Oct.  — ,  1866. 

Dr.  Milo  James  Whiton  was  born  at  Lee,  Mass., 
March  27,  1805,  and  studied  medicine  with  his 
brother.  Dr.  Lyman  Whiton  ;  also  at  the  Berkshire 
Medical  College,  and  with  Dr.  L.  Hubbard,  of 
Poughkeepsie.  He  practiced  medicine  twenty-five 
years — seventeen  as  a  homeopath.  He  possessed 
a  delicate  constitution,  and  though  never  enjoying 
health  himself,  was  always  ready  to  reUeve  the  suf- 
ferings of  others.  He  was  successful  in  the  treat- 
ment of  chronic  diseases,  to  which  he  paid  most 
attention,  and  particularly  to  the  use  of  the  galvanic 
battery  in  combination  with  his  prescriptions  of 
medicine.  He  had  formerly  practiced  in  Saratoga 
county  and  removed  thence  to  Brooklyn.  He 
practiced  there  four  years  when  his  preference  for 
country  life  induced  him  to  remove  to  Fishkill  vil- 
lage. He  died  of  disease  of  the  heart,  Dec.  15, 
1867. 

The  Duchess  County  Mutual  Insurance  Com- 
pany was  chartered  April  12,  1836,  on  application 
of  James  E.  Mott,  Nathaniel  P.  Tallmadge,  James 
Mabbett,  Alexander  Forbus,  Henry  ConkUn,  Abra- 
ham Bockee,  Thomas  Taber,  Daniel  D.  Akin, 
Homer  Wheaton**  John  M.  Ketcham,  Wm.  H. 
Bostwick,  Daniel  H.  Shultz,  Theodore  V.  W.  An- 
thony, Henry  Staats,  Stephen  Thorn,  Taber  Beld- 

♦  Removed  to  New  York.  ' 

+  Removed  to  DeKalb,  111. 
t  Removed  to  Brooklyn,  L.  I. 
§  Deceased. 
II  Removed  to  Ilion. 
T  Removed  to  Rhinebeck. 

**  Only  the  three  incorporators  whose  names  are  italicized  survive,  and 
they  have  ceased  to  be  members  of  the  company. 


ing,  Uriah  Gregory,  John  T.  Schryver,  Silas  Ger- 
mond,  Obadiah  Titus,  George  H.  Tompkins,  Wal- 
ter Sherman,  Daniel  Sands,  Isaac  Haight  and 
James  Vincent,  "  for  the  purpose  of  insuring  their 
respective  dwelling  houses,  stores,  shops,  and  other 
buildings,  household  furniture,  merchandise,  and 
other  property,  against  loss  or  damage  by  fire." 
James  Emott,  James  Mabbett,  Alexander  Forbus, 
Abraham  Bockee,  Thomas  Taber,  Daniel  D  Akin, 
Homer  Wheaton,  Wm.  H.  Bostwick,  John  T. 
Schryver,  Stephen  Thorn,  Silas  Germond,  John  M. 
Ketcham  and  James  Vincent  were  the  first  directors. 
The  directors  are  chosen  annually,  and  transact  the 
•  business  of  the  company  in  Poughkeepsie.  The 
first  officers  were: — James  Emott,  President; 
James  E.  Slater,  Secretary.  The  charter  expired 
at  the  end  of  twenty  years  and  was  extended  by  act 
of  April  9th,  1855,  for  twenty  years  from  April  12, 
1856,  and  under  the  general  insurance  laws,  for 
thirty  years,  from  April  12,  1876.  April  30,  1868, 
it  was  made  optional  with  the  company  to  receive 
from  parties  applying  for  insurance  "  all  cash  for 
premiums  in  lieu  of  a  deposit  note,"  for  which  the 
original  charter  made  provision. 

Mr.  Emott  was  succeeded  in  the  presidency  by 
James  Mabbett  and  George  Wilkinson,  the  latter 
of  whom  held  the  office  till  his  death,  Jan.  21, 1881, 
since  which  time  no  president  has  been  elected.  Mr. 
Slater  was  Secretary  till  his  death  in  1850,  when 
Owen  T.  Coffin  was  elected.  He  resigned  in  1851, 
when  LeGrand  Dodge  was  elected  and  has  since 
held  the  office. 

The  company  commenced  business  without  a 
dollar,  taking  premium  notes  from  the  insured  and 
a  percentage  thereon  as  a  nucleus  for  a  surplus. 
Over  a  million  dollars  have  been  paid  for  losses  and 
expenses  without  calling  on  the  members  for  a 
dollar's  assessment  on  premium  notes,  and  during 
the  forty-four  years  of  its  existence  the  company 
has  had  but  one  law  suit,  but  has  paid  every  loss 
sustained  by  its  policy  holders,  whether  by  fire  or 
lightning.  The  company  has  been  very  successful, 
mainly  under  the  efficient  direction  of  the  Secre- 
tary, Mr.  Dodge',  who,  during  his  thirty  years' 
management,  has  increased  the  surplus  from  $16,- 
000  to  $  1 50,000.  The  premium  for  many  years  has 
uniformly  been  about  1.6  per  cent.  June  i,  1880, 
the  date  of  the  44th  annual  report,  the  number  of 
policies  in  force  was  23,374,  and  the  amount  cov- 
ered by  insurance,  $27,548,384.  About  one-half 
the  insurance  is  from  Duchess  county,  the  rest 
being  from  Long  Island  and  the  river  counties.  It 
is  almost  entirely  confined  to  farm  property. 


ii8 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  Xni. 

Early  Courts— Courts  First  Authorized  in 
Duchess  (Bounty— First  Court  House  and 
Jail  in  Duchess  County— Assessments  of 
Wards  and  Precincts  at  Different  Periods — 
Subsequent  County  Buildings — Their  Con- 
struction AND  Destruction — Jail  Limits — 
County  Poor  House — Duchess  County  Civil 
List — Miscellaneous  Appointments  to  Dis- 
tinguished Positions — Delegates  to  State 
Constitutional  Convention  —  State  Sena- 
tors —  Members  of  Assembly  —  First  and 
County  Judges —Surrogates —District  At- 
torneys— Sheriffs — County  Clerks — Coun- 
ty Treasurers — County  Superintendents  of 
Common  Schools — School  Commissioners — 
Presidential  Electors — Senators  and  Rep- 
resentatives IN  Congress. 

IN  1683,  an  act  was  passed  directing  that  a 
Court  of  Sessions  be  held  by  three  Justices  of 
the  Peace,  twice  each  year,  in  each  of  the  twelve 
counties  erected  that  year,  except  New  York  and 
Albany,  in  the  former  of  which  it  was  to  be  held 
four  times,  and  in  the  latter  three  times,  each  year. 
It  determined  all  causes,  civil  and  criminal,  by  a 
jury,  but  actions  exceeding  ;^5  could  be  removed 
on  application  to  the  Court  of  Oyer  and  Ter- 
miner. By  the  act  of  1691  and  ordinance  of  1699, 
the  functions  of  this  court  were  confined  to  crimi- 
nal matters,  and  civil  cases  were  transferred  to  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas,  which  was  first  estab- 
lished in  New  York  and  Albany  in  1686,  but  in 
the  other  counties  in  169 1.  Not,  however,  till 
thirty-seven  years  after  its  formation  as  a  county 
did  Duchess  enjoy  this  judicial  tribunal,  for,  from 
Oct.  18,  1 70 1,  it  was  provisionally  attached  to  Ul- 
ster county.  This  Couit  was  originally  composed 
of  one  judge  and  three  justices,  but  in  1702,  it  was 
ordered  that  the  judge  be  assisted  by  two  or  more 
justices,  all  of  whom  were  appointed  by  the  Gov- 
ernor, and  hold  office  during  his  pleasure.  It  had 
cognizance  of  all  actions  where  the  matter  in  de- 
mand exceeded  in  value  the  sum  of  ^^5.  July  2 1 
1 7 15,  the  General  Assembly  authorized  the  con- 
struction of  a  "county  house  and  prison"  in  this 
county,  and  July  6,  1720,  Governor  William  Bur- 
net passed  an  ordinance  for  establishing  Courts  of 
Common  Pleas  and  General  Sessions  of  the  Peace 
therein.  The  latter  document  is  an  interesting  one 
and  we  reproduce  it : — 

"  "Whereas,  In  the  Establishments  of  the  Courts 
of  Common  Pleas  and  the  General  Sessions  of  the 


Peace  hitherto  in  the  County  of  Dutches,  on  the 
East-Side  of  Hudson's  River,  over  against  the 
County  of  Vlster,  there  has  been  no  Courts  of 
Common 'Pleas  or  General  Sessions  of  the  Peace 
Erected  and  Established  to  be  holden  and  kept 
within  the  said  County,  but  the  Inhabitants  of  the 
same  County  have  sometime  formerly  been  sub- 
jected to  the  Jurisdiction  of  the  Justices  of  the  afore- 
said County  of  Vlster.  For  Remedy  whereof  for 
the  Future,  I  have  thought  fit,  by  and  with  the  Ad- 
vice and  Consent  of  his  Majesties  Council  for  the 
Province  of  New  York,  and  by  virtue  of  the  Power 
and  Authority  unto  me  given  and  granted  under 
the  Great  Seal  of  Great  Britain,  and  do  hereby 
Erect,  Establish  and  Ordain,  That  from  hence- 
forward there  shall  be  held  and  kept  at  Poghkeep- 
son,  near  the  Center  of  said  County,  a  General  Ses- 
sions of  the  Peace,  on  the  third  Tuesday  in  May, 
and  the  third  Tuesday  in  October,  yearly  and  every 
year  for  ever,  which  General  Sessions  of  the  Peace, 
in  every  Sessions,  shall  not  continue  for  longer 
than  Two  Days,  but  may  finish  the  business  of  the 
Sessions,  possibly,  in  one  Day,  and  that  from  hence- 
forward there  shall  be  held  and  kept  at  Poghkepson, 
near  the  Center,  of  the  said  County,  a  Court  of 
Common  Pleas  to  begin  the  next  Day,  after  the 
said  Courts  of  General  Sessions  of  the  Peace  Ter- 
minates, and  then  only,  if  Busines  require,  to  hold 
and  continue  for  two  Days  next  following,  and  no 
longer,  with  the  like  Power  and  Jurisdictions  as 
other  Courts  of  Common  Pleas  in  other  Counties 
within  the  Province  of  New  York,  have  used  and 
enjoyed,  any  former  Ordinance,  Practice  or  Usage 
to  the  contrary  hereof  in  any  wise  notwithstanding. 
'■'■Given  under  my  Hand  and  Seal  at  Anns  in 
Council  at  Fort .  George,  in  New  York,  the 
Sixth  Day  of  July,  in  the  Seventh  Year  of  the 
Reign  of  our  Sovereign  Lords  George,  by  the 
Grace  of  God,  King  of  Great  Britain,  France 
and  Ireland,  Defender  of  the  Faith,  S^c. 

W.  Burnet. 
"By  Order  of  His  Excellency  in  Council, 

Is.  Bobin,  D.  CI  Counr* 
The  court  house  and  jail,  though  authorized  in 
1715,  were  not,  says  French,!  g-pparently  com- 
pleted till  thirty  years  afterward.  Pursuant  to  the 
act  of  1715,  a  meeting  was  held  at  the  house 
of  Leonard  Lewis,  in  "Pockepsen"  June  22, 
17 17,  and  Capt.  Barendt  Van  Kleeck  and  Jacobus 
Van  Der  Bogart  were  chosen  commissioners  to 
build  a  court  house  and  jail.  The  meeting  was 
summoned  by  an  order  signed  by  Lewis  Leonard, 
Barendt  Van  Kleeck  and  Johannes  Terboss.  It 
commanded  Cornelius  Van  Der  Bogart  to  summon 
the  people  to  attend.  The  certificate  of  the  result 
is  signed  by  Lewis  Leonard,  Judge,  and  Capt. 
Barendt  Van  Kleeck  and  Machill  Palmateer, 
Justices.  I    The  land  whereon   the   present  court 

*  Documentary  History  of  New  York,  ///.,  972,  97J. 
\  Gazetteer  of  the  State  Of  New  York,  268. 
t  Poughheepsie  Weekly  Eagle,  July  8,  1876, 


THE  FIRST  COURT  HOUSE— FIRST  TAX  RECORD. 


119 


house  stands,  and  on  which  the  first  one  was 
erected,  was  conveyed  in  17 18,  by  deed,  by  Henry 
Van  Der  Bogart  to  Barendt  Van  Kleeck.  The  origi- 
nal building  was  not  erected  until  1746.  Its  con- 
struction was  again  authorized  by  the  Provincial 
Legislature  in  1743,  and  it  was  built  under  the 
supervision  of  Commissioners,  of  whom  Henry 
Livingston  was  chief,  who  were  appointed  to  re- 
ceive and  disburse  the  money  raised  for  the 
purpose.  Mr.  Livingston  received  his  authority 
as  financial  manager  from  the  Justices  of  the  Peace 
of  the  several  precincts.  The  document  is  signed 
by  Justices  Jacobus  Swartwout,  Francis  Filkin, 
Laurence  Van  Kleek,  John  Montross,  Mordicai 
Lefifert,  John  Tripp,  James  Duncan  and  John 
BrinkerhofF.  The  precincts  were  assessed  accord- 
ing to  their  population  and  valuation  to  pay  for 
the  building  of  the  court  house.  The  amount 
assessed  was  about  $18,000,  of  which  Rhinebeck, 
then  the  most  populous  and  wealthy,  paid  nearly 
$S,ooo,  Rombout,  over  $4,000,  and  Poughkeepsie, 
less  than  $2,500.  In  1760,  an  act  authorized  the 
conversion  of  a  jury  room  into  a  jail,  and  four 
years  after  money  was  raised  to  complete  the 
arrangement.  This  building  was  destroyed  by  fire 
in  1785,  and  April  11,  of  that  year,  ;^i,S°o  were 
appropriated  for  its  reconstruction.  Cornelius 
Humphrey,  Peter  Tappen  and  Gilbert  Livingston 
were  the  building  committee.  A  further  tax  of 
£■2,000  was  ordered  in  1786,  and  of  ;^i,3oo  in 
1787.  In  the  meantime  the  prisoners  were  sent 
to  the  Ulster  county  jail* 

The  first  record  of  taxes — for  the  years  1716 
and'17— bears  date  of  Jan.  17,  1717.  The  amount 
of  property  assessed  in  the  North  Ward  was  ^426, 
the  tax  on  which  was  £i^  19s,  4|d;  in  the  Mid- 
dle Ward  the  assessed  valuation  was  ^^554  and 
the  tax  ;^33  9s.  6Jd ;  in  the  South  Ward  the 
assessed  valuation,  was  ;^32o  and  the  tax,  ;^  19 
6s.  7d.  Thus  the  assessed  valuation  of  the  county 
was  £  1,300,  and  the  tax,  £^2  15s.  sfd.  Of  this 
^30  IS.  9d.  was  directed  to  be  paid  to  A.  D. 
Peystern,  Receiver  of  the  King's  tax  at  New  York, 
and  the  rest  to  Leonard  Lewis,  Treasurer  of  the 
county.  The  tax  list  for  the  North  Ward  is 
signed  by  Henricus  Beekman  and  Hendrick  Kip, 
assessors ;  that  for  the  Middle  and  South  Wards, 
by  Henry  V.  D.  Burgh,  Johannes  Van  Kleeck, 
Loanworens  Van  Kleeck,  James  Hussey  and 
Jacobus  Van  Der  Bogart,  assessors.  The  collect- 
ors of  this  tax  were  Johannes  Buys,  Cornelius  Van 


Der  Bogart  and  Matthys  Slegt.  It  is  evident,  how- 
ever, that  taxes  were  collected  previous  to  this,  for 
a  receipt  for  taxes  is  mentioned,  dated  New  York, 
July  6,  1715,  signed  A.  D.  Peyster,  Treasurer  of 
the  Province.  In  1723,  there  were  179  taxable 
inhabitants  in  the  county.* 

The  following  table   shows  the   assessment  of 
precincts  in  177 1  : — 


PRECINCTS. 


Southern     ■  ■  • 

Rumbout  

Pawlings 
Beekmans 
Poughkeepsie 
Charlotte 

Amenia 

Rhinebeck  . . . , 
North  East.     . 


Total. . 


No.  of 
Individ- 
uals. 


683 
492 
298 

JIG 

m 

6jo 
z88 
J  84 
258 


J,  583 


;£'>J77 

1,888 

923 

786 

80S 

1,908 

81& 

',97' 

547 


Rate 


Tax. 


£     s.  d. 


145 
75 
191 
135 
98 
82 
77 


151  12    I 


*  Sketches  of  Local Hhiory,  by  Benson  J.  Lossing,  LL.  D.,  in  The 
Dutchess  Farmer,  Dec.  12,  1876. 


The  second  court  house,  located  on  the  site  of 
the  first,  was  built  of  stone,  in  the  old  Dutch  style 
of  architecture,  and  was  surrounded  by  a  picket 
fence.  The  jail  was  in  the  north  end,  and  con- 
tained two  tiers  of  arched  cells,  the  first  under- 
ground,  where  prisoners  charged  with  the  higher 
crimes  were  placed.  The  southern  half  was  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  Hatch  as  a  tavern.  Here  the  judges 
and  jurors  boarded  during  the  sessions  of  the  court. 
It  was  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  "  the  court,'' 
jury,  counsel,  sheriff,  constables,  prisoner  and  all 
adjourn  to  Mr.  Hatch's  bar  for  drinks.  On  one  of 
these  social  occasions,  the  prisoner,  a  horse  thief, 
slipped  away  from  his  custodians.  When  the  judge 
resumed  his  seat,  the  fact  was  rnade  known  to  him. 
At  first  he  said  nothing,  but  appeared  to  be  in  deep 
thought.  Finally  he  arose  and  with  more  than  his 
usual  gravity,  deUvered  himself  as  follows: — 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  Jury — I  am  told  that  the 
prisoner  has  informally  taken  leave  of  the  Court, 
and  gone  the  sheriff  knows  not  whither.  This  gives 
the  case  before  you  a  more  complex  phase,  as  the 
statutes  distinctly  provide  that  the  prisoner  shall  at 
no  time,  during  trial,  sentence  or  punishment  ab- 
sent himself  from  the  officers  of  the  law.  There- 
fore it  only  remains  for  me  to  say,  that  further  pros- 
ecution in  this  case  must  be  postponed  until  the 
return  of  the  d — d  scoundrel  who  has  thus  inform- 
ally trifled  with  the  dignity  of  the  Court  and  the 
people  of  the  State  of  New  York." 

"The  Courts  in  those  days  were  composed  of 
rough  hewn  timber,  yet  we  venture  to  say  their 
justice  was  equal  to  that  dispensed  by  the  judiciary 
at  the  present  time."t 

This  building  was  destroyed  by  fire  on  the  night 
of  Thursday,  Sept.  25,  1808,  and  the  act  was  at- 

"^P^ghkeefsie  Weekly  Eagle,  July  8,  1876.    Historical  Sketch  and 
Directory  of  the  town  of  Fishkill,  '866,  p.  62. 
t  The  Sunday  Courier,  Poughkeepsie,  March  '6,  187J. 


I30 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


tributed  to  the  criminal  inmates  of  the  jail,  who 
were  removed  to  the  Farmers'  Hotel,  then  kept  by 
Amaziah  Blakeslee,  on  Cannon  street,  nearly  op- 
posite the  Duchess  County  Academy,  which  then 
occupied  the  site  of  St.  Mary's  church.     None  of 
the  public    documents  in  the    clerk's  office  were 
destroyed,  and  the  October  terms  of  Courts  were 
held  in  the  Reformed  Dutch  church.     An  act  for 
the  reconstruction    of  the  building    was  passed 
March  24,  1809,  and  $t  2,000  was  raised  for  that 
purpose.     James  Tallmadge,  John  B.  Van  Wyck 
and  John  Van  Benthuysen  were  commissioned  to 
superintend  its  erection.     In  1810,  $13,000  addi- 
tional was  raised,  and  the  building  was  completed 
soon  after.     It  is  a  plain  stone  edifice,  50  by  100 
feet,  and  its  walls  were  covered  with  stucco  in  186 1. 
It  contains  the  county  clerk's  office,  which  under- 
went  some  improvements  in  its  interior  arrange- 
ments in  1877-78,  and  the   other  county  offices 
except  that  of  Surrogate,  which  is  a  small  one-story 
brick  building  immediately  in  its  rear.     Originally 
the  jail  was  in  the  same  building,  but  in  1856,  its 
condition  was  represented  by  the  Senate  Commit- 
tee as  extremely  unfit  for  its  purpose  and  unhealthy 
to  its  inmates.     The  present  jail,  which  is  in  the 
rear  of  the  Poughkeepsie  National  Bank  and  to  the 
west  of  the  rear  part  of  the  court  house,  is  a  brick 
structure,   and  was  erected  in  186  r   at  a  cost  of 
$10,901.51.     The  jail  hmits  of  Duchess,  as   laid 
out  pursuant  to  the  order  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas   at   the   January  term    of   1809,   by  David 
Brooks,    Clerk   of   said   Court,  Joseph   C.  Fields, 
Sheriff  of  said  county  and  James  Tallmadge,  Jr., 
President  of  the  Trustees  of  the  village  of  Pough- 
keepsie, comprised  four   and  three-fourths   acres 
of  land.      In    former  years,  when   imprisonment 
for  debt  was  in  vogue,   fifty  to   sixty  adjudged 
debtors  have  been  known  to  circulate  within  these 
prescribed  limits  for  months,  and  in-some  instances 
for  twenty  years  or  more.* 

The  poor-house  of  Duchess  county  was  originally 
located  at  Poughkeepsie.  In  i74r,  an  act  was 
passed  for  the  better  rehef  of  the  poor  of  the  coun- 
ty, and  to  remove  certain  scruples  the  Supervisors 
had  to  raising  money  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
poor.  The  poor-house  is  now  located  in  Washing- 
ton, three  miles  south-east  of  Washington  Hollow. 
In  1856,  a  change  was  contemplated  in  the  method 
of  supporting  the  county  poor,  and  in  that  year  an 
act  was  passed  empowering  the  Supervisors,  when- 
ever any  two   successive   boards   should   vote   a 

*The  Sunday  Courier  ai  Sept.  14,  1873,  gives  a  minute  description 
of  tliese  limits,  wlaose  boundary  marks  liave  long  since  been  obliterated. 


change  expedient,  to  contract  for  the  support  and 
maintenance  of  the  poor,  and  to  sell  the  poor- 
house  buildings  and  lands  and  divide  the  proceeds 
between  the  city  of  Poughkeepsie  and  the  several 
towns  in  the  county,  in  proportion  to  the  amount 
of  taxes  paid  by  them  respectively. 

April  7,  1863,  David  S.  Tallman,  John  Ferris 
and  Albert  Emons  were  commissioned  to  sell  the 
old  poor-house  property,  which  consisted  of  105.22 
acres  of  land  and  buildings,  located  opposite  the 
present  city  alms-house  in  Poughkeepsie,  and  pur- 
chase  other  farming  lands  not  less  than  50  nor 
more  than  75  acres,  and  not  less  than  eight  nor 
more  than  fifteen  miles  from  Hudson  River,  upon 
which  to  keep  the  county  poor ;   and  they  were 
authorized  to  erect  upon  the  lands  so  purchased 
suitable   buildings  for   their  accommodation,  the 
entire   cost  of  land  and  buildings  not  to  exceed 
$20,000.     May  9,  1863,  they  sold  the  old  poor-    , 
house  farm  and  buildings  at  auction  for  $19,605.55,* 
and  agreed  with  the  purchasers  to  pay  seven  per 
cent,  on  that  amount  for  their  use  until  April  i, 
1864.     May   28,  1863,  they  received  a  deed  for 
74  acres,  i  rood  and   29  perches  of  land  in  the 
town   of  Washington  from  Daniel  H.  Lyon,   for 
which   they  paid  $6,182.24,  and  contracted  with 
him  for  the  purchase  of  an  additional  29  acres,  3 
roods  and  29  perches  adjoining  it  at  $55  per  acre, 
subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Supervisors.     The 
latter  purchase  was  legalized  and  confirmed  by  the 
Legislature  in  1864.    (Section  i,  chap.  286.)    The 
Commissioners   also  contracted  with   Orlando  J. 
Rust  to  erect  a  building  130  feet  long,    32   feet 
wide,  two  stories  high,  with  basement,  to  be  built 
with  wood  and  filled  in  with  brick— the  timber  i.o 
be  in  the  main,  white  oak  and  chestnut — and  roofed 
with  slate,  and  completed  by  April  i,  1864.     The 
separate  maintenance  of  the  poor  of  the  county 
and  the  city  of  Poughkeepsie  was  authorized  by 
the  Legislature  in  1863,  and  Dec.  9th  of  that  year, 
the  Supervisors  directed  the  Commissioners  to  pay 
to  the  Aims-House  Commissioners  of  the  City  of 
Poughkeepsie  $3,172.60,  that  being  its  share  of  the 
proceeds  pf  the  sale  of  the  poor-house  property. 

The  building  erected  for  the  poor  in  1863,  cost 
$14,380,  including  boiler  and  heater,  but  was  illy 
adapted  to  the  purposes  for  which  it  was  intended, 
imperfectly  ventilated,  destitute  of  conveniences  for 
bathing,  and  did  not  admit  of  a  proper  separation 
of  the  sexes.  In  1864,  a  lunatic  asylum  was  built 
at    a  cost  of  $5,944.34.     It  is  a  plain  two-story 

*The  auctioneer  was  Henry  W.  Shaw,  {yosh  Billings i)  of  Pough- 
keepsie. 


COUNTY  POOR  HOUSE— CIVIL  LIST. 


121 


wooden  building,  24  by  36  feet,  containing  eighteen 
cells — nine  on  each  floor — with  grated  doors  and 
barred  windows.  In  1865,  a  house  for  the  keeper 
was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $5,764.92,  and  in  the  same 
year  repairs  and  other  buildings  cost  $3,877.63. 
The  entire  cost  of  the  poor-house  property  previous 
to  i88r,  exclusive  of  ordinary  running  expenses, 
_  amounted  to  over  $45,000. 

"  The  evils  resulting  from  the  want  of  adapta- 
tion becoming  more   evident   year  by  year,   the 
County  Visiting  Committee  of  the  State  Board  of 
Charities   reported  its  condition  to  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  in  1876,  and  again  in  1877,  afterwards 
addressing  an  open  letter  to  the   citizens   of  the 
county."     A  committee   of  Supervisors   was   ap- 
pointed, and  in  the  spring  of  1879,  many  repairs 
were  made.     But  the  building  was  still  in  an  un- 
satisfactory condition,  and  on  the  recommendation 
otthe  committee  a  further  appropriation  of  $1,000 
was  made.     This  sum  proved  inadequate  to  accom- 
plish all  that  was  needed  and  contemplated,  but 
sufficed  to  perfect  a  desired  object — a  complete 
division  of  the  house  and  grounds  into  two  depart- 
ments— which    was    economically    accomplished, 
more  by  a  skillful  re-arrangement  and  utilization 
of  material  on  the  ground,  than  by  the  erection  of 
new  buildings.     Various  other  changes   and  im- 
provements were  made,  involving  the  changing  of 
the  front  of  the  house  from  the  west  to  the  north ; 
but  they  were  not  all  that  could  be  desired.     The 
Superintendent,  David  S.  Tallman,  entered  upon 
*    the  duties  of  his  office  Jan.  i,  1880,  at  which  time 
the  number  of  inmates  was  160.     Nov.  i,  1880,  this 
number  was  reduced  to  loi,  against  106  the  same 
time  the  previous  year.     The  average  number  of 
paupers  in  1880  was  114,  a  reduction  of  22    as 
compared  with  the  previous  year.     The   average 
cost  of  support  per  week  was  $2.24.     The  total 
amount     of    receipts,    including     appropriation, 
($r2,ooo,)  was    $13,771;    the   total  amount    of 
disbursements,  $13,420.28.      April    i,    1880,  the 
books  showed  one  hundred  and  forty-two  resident 
paupers,  of  whom  ninety-five  were  men,  (twenty- 
seven   Americans,)  forty  white  women,   (twenty- 
three    Americans,)     six    colored    men,    and    six 
colored  women,  twenty-three  foreign  women,  sixty- 
two  of  foreign  birth,  five  blind,  eleven  insane,  four 
aliens,  and  one  mute   of  fifteen   years,   removed 
September  ist,  to  the  institution  at  Rome.     The 
majority  were  old  and  feeble,  and  the  remainder  of 
the  class  usually  found  in  poor-houses,  indolent, 
weak-minded,  victims  of  unfortunate  circumstan- 
ces.    Religious  services  are  held  semi-monthly  in 


the  dining-room,  which  is  in  the  basement  of  the 
building ;  and  for  such  as  choose,  a  way  is  provided 
to  attend  the  Catholic  Church.  Children  at  two 
years  of  age  are  placed  in  the  Orphan  House  at 
Poughkeepsie,  or  Colored  Orphan  Asylum  in 
Brooklyn.  The  institution  is  deficient  in  its  pro- 
visions for  the  sick.  Medical  attendance  is  secured 
twice  a  week,  but  no  rooms  have  been  set  apart 
for  their  especial  care  and  comfort.  The  house 
work  is  done  by  the  women,  and  most  of  the  farm 
work  by  the  men.  The  building  is  heated  by 
steam,  and  water  is  conveyed  to  the  wash-house, 
where  it  is  obtained  by  the  inmates  for  use.  In 
.  December,  1880,  the  Supervisors  appropriated 
$1,500  to  complete  the  repairs  in  progress  on  the 
building,  and  the  Superintendent  was  authorized 
to  purchase  earthen  bowls  and  plates  to  replace  the 
tinware  then  in  use,  also  chairs  for  the  dining- 
room  in  place  of  benches,  and  to  put  enameled 
covers  on  the  dining  tables,* 

Duchess  County  Civil  List. — Duchess  county 
has  produced  many  men  of  talent  and  eminence  in 
the  various  professions,  and  has  always  been  ably 
represented  in  legislative  bodies.     "  It  was  so  in 
the  Provincial  Assembly,"  says  Mr.  Lossing,  "  and 
especially  so  when,  in  1775,  British  rule  was  dis- 
carded   and   a   Provincial   Convention   took   the 
political  power  of  the  province  under  its  control. 
In  that  convention  Duchess  county  was  represented 
by  Egbert  Benson,  Morris  Graiham  and  Robert  R. 
Livingston.     The  latter  was  the  eminent  Chancel- 
lor, whose  name  has  been  made  immortal  by  his 
connection  with  the  first  successful  efforts  in  steam 
navigation.     In  the  New  York  Provincial  Congress 
and  Convention  from  1775  to  1777  inclusive,  when 
a  State  government  was  formed.  Duchess  was  rep- 
resented by  men  of  mark,  such  as  Derick  Brincker- 
hoff.  Dr.  Crane,  Jacob  Evertson,  Morris  Graham, 
Henry    Hoffman,    Cornelius    Humphrey,    Jacob 
Kane,  Jonathan  Landon,  Gilbert  and  James  Liv- 
ingston,   Robert   G.  and  Robert   R.    Livingston, 
Richard  Montgomery,  (who  was  slain  at  Quebec,) 
Ephraim  Paine,  Zephaniah  Piatt,  Beverly  Robin- 
son,   Nathaniel  Sackett,  Guysbert,  Henry,   John 
and  Paul  Schenck,  Melancton  Smith,  Peter  Ten 
Broeck,     James    Vanderburgh     and     Theodorus 
Van  Wyck."t 

Duchess  county  has  furnished  two  Lieut--Gov- 
ernors   of  New  York— James  Tallmadge,  elected 


*  Twelfth  and  Fourteenth  Annual  Reports  of  the  State  Board  of 
Charities,  of  which  body  Sarah  M .  Carpenter,  of  Poughkeepsie,  is  Com- 
missioner for  the  Second  Judicial  District ;  Proceedings  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  of  Duchess  County,  for  1880,  and  other  documents. 

t  Sketches  of  Local  History,  in  The  Dutchess  Farmer,  Dec.  12, 1876. 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Nov.  I,  1824,  and  Peter  R.  Livingston,  the  noted 
politician,  who  spent  most  of  his  life  in  Rhinebeck, 
and  who,  on  the  death  of  Gov.  DeWitt  Clinton 
Feb.  Ti,  1828,  and  the  assumption  of  the  guberna- 
torial duties  by  Lieut.-Gov.  Nathaniel  Pitcher,  was 
elected  President  of  the  Senate  Feb.   16,  1828 ; 
one  staff  officer,  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  of  Tivoli, 
who  was  appointed  Adjutant-General  of  the  State, 
Jan.  I,  185s  ;  three  Secretaries  of  State,  Thomas 
Tillotson,  of  Red   Hook,   appointed  August    10, 
1801,  and  again  Feb.  16,  1807,  Robert  R.  Tillot- 
son,   of    Red    Hook,    appointed    February    12, 
r8i6,  and  Homer  A.  Nelson,    of  Poughkeepsie, 
elected  November  5,  1867  ;  two  State  Treasurers, 
Joseph  Howland,  of  Matteawan,  who  was  elected 
Nov.    7,    1865,   and  James  Mackin,    of  Fishkill, 
elected  Nov.  6,  1877 ;   three   Attorneys-General, 
Egbert  Benson,  of  Red  Hook,  appointed  May  8, 
1777,  Morgan  Lewis,  of  Rhinebeck,  elected  Nov. 
8,  1 791,  and  Thomas  J.  Oakley,  of  Poughkeepsie, 
elected  July  S,  1819;  one   Canal  Commissioner, 
James  Hooker,  of  Poughkeepsie,  appointed  Feb- 
ruary  8,   1842;  one  Inspector  of  the  New  York 
Prison,   James   Teller,    of  Matteawan,  who    was 
thrice  appointed,  first  April  i,  18 11,  again  March 
17,  18 1 5,  and  again  Feb.  24,  182 1 ;  two  members 
of  the  first  Board  of  R.egents,  Anthony  Hoffman, 
of  Rhinebeck,  and    Cornehus  Humfrey ;    one  to 
the  second  board,  Gilbert  Livingston  ;  and  one  to 
the  board  under  the  new  system,  adopted  in  1787, 
Smith  Thompson,  of  Stanford,  appointed  March  3, 
1813  ;  three  Commissioners  of  the  State  Board  of 
Charities,  Harvey  G.  Eastman,  of  Poughkeepsie, 
appointed  June  17,  r867,  (in  which  year  the  Board 
was  organized,)  and  re-appointed  March  19,  1873, 
James   Roosevelt,   of  Hyde  Park,   appointed  as 
Eastman's  successor,  February  12,  1879,  and  Sarah 
M.  Carpenter,  of  Poughkeepsie,  who  is  the  present 
incumbent   of  the  office  in  the  Second  Judicial 
District ;  one  Judge   of  the   Court  of  Appeals, 
Charles  H.  Ruggles,  of  Poughkeepsie,  elected  June 
7,  1847,  for  six  years,  and  re-elected  Nov.  8,  1853, 
resigning  the  office  August  20,  1855  i  a  Chief  Jus- 
tice  of  the   Supreme   Court,    Smith  Thompson, 
appointed  Feb.  3,  1814;  three  Puisne  Justices  of 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  Morgan  Lewis, 
of  Rhinebeck,  appointed   Dec.  24,  1792,  Egbert 
Benson,  of  Red  Hook,  appointed  Jan.  29, 1794,  and 
Smith  Thompson,  appointed  Jan.  8,  1802;*   three 
Circuit  Judges,  (Second  Circuit,)  James  Emott,  of 
Poughkeepsie,  appointed  Feb.  21,  1827,  Charles 


•  Judge  Benson  drew  the  first  rules  of  the  Court  for  the  Correction  of 
Errors,  which  were  adopted  in  April,  1796. 


H.    Ruggles,  of  Poughkeepsie,  appointed  March 
9,    1 83 1,  and  Seward  Barculo,  of  Poughkeepsie, 
appointed  April  4,  1846  ;  a  Justice  of  the  General 
Term  of  the  Supreme  Court,  Joseph  F.  Barnard, 
of  Poughkeepsie,  (Second  Department,)  who  was 
appointed  Dec.  25, 1870,  and  is  the  present  incum- 
bent J  four  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court,  Seward 
Barculo,  elected  June  7,  1847,  and  died  in  office 
June  17,  1854,  Gilbert  Dean,  of  Poughkeepsie,  ap- 
pointed on  the  decease  of  Barculo,  June  26,  1854, 
James  Emott,  elected  Nov.  6,  1855,  and  Joseph  F. 
Barnard,  the  present  incumbent,  elected  Nov.  3, 
1863,  and  re-elected  ;  a  member  of  the  Council  of 
the    Colony   of  New  York,  John  Johnston,  from 
1716  to  1722;  a  member  of  the  first  Council  of 
Safety,  which  was  appointed  May  3,  1777,  and  sat 
from  May  14  to  Sept.  10,   1777,  Zephaniah  Piatt, 
of  Poughkeepsie ;  andtwo  members  of  the  second 
Council  of  Safety,  which  sat  from  Oct.  8,  1777  to 
Jan  7,  1778,  first  at  Kingston,  then  at  Hurley  and 
finally  at  Poughkeepsie,  viz :     Egbert  Benson,  of 
Red  Hook,  and  Jonathan  Landon  ;  ten  members 
of  the  Council  of  Appointment,  Zephaniah  Piatt, 
appointed  Oct.  17,  1778,  and  again  Oct.  25,  1781, 
Ephraim  Paine,  Sept.  11,  1780,  (vacated  by  expul- 
sion from  the  Senate  March  15,  1781,)  Jacobus 
Swartwout,  of  Fishkill,  Jan.  21,   1784,  and  again 
Jan.   19,   1786,  Anthony  Hoffman,  of  Rhinebeck, 
Jan.   18,  1788,  Thomas  Tillotson,  of  Red  Hook, 
Jan.  14,  1791,  Abraham  Schenck,  of  Fishkill,  Jan. 
7,  1796,  Abraham  Adriance,  of  Poughkeepsie,  Feb. 
7,  1804,  Robert  Williams,  of  Poughkeepsie,  Jan. 
31,  1810,  Peter  R.  Livingston,  of  Rhinebeck,  Jan. 
3r,  1818,  and  Stephen  Barnum,  Feb.  3,  1819;  a 
Secretary  of  War,  John  Armstrong,  of  Red  Hook, 
who  was  appointed  by  President  Madison,  Jan.  13, 
1813  ;  two  Secretaries  of  the  Navy,  Smith  Thomp- 
son, who  was  appointed  Nov.  9^,1818,  and  James 
K.  Paulding,  the  author  of  Salmagundi  and  other 
works  of  merit,  who  was  appointed  June  25,  1 838  ;* 
a  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States, 
Smith   Thompson,   appointed   Sept.  21,  1823;  a 
diplomatic    officer,    John   Armstrong,    appointed 
Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  France,  June  30,  1804; 
a  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  the  United  States, 
Egbert  Benson,  appointed  Feb.  20,  r8o4. 

Delegates  to  State  Constitutional  Conventions.— 
Jonathan  Atkins,  John  DeWitt,  Gilbert  Living- 
ston, Zephaniah  Piatt,  Melancton  Smith,t  Jacobus 
Swartwout  and  Ezra  Thompson  r^resented 
Duchess  county  in  the  convention  which  met  at 

*  It  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  the  only  two  Secretaries  of  the  Navy  from 
this  State  were  from  Duchess  county, 
t  Resided  in  New  York  City. 


CIVIL  LIST— STATE  SENATORS,  MEMBERS  OF  ASSEMBLY. 


123 


Poughkeepsie  to  adopt  the  Federal  Constitution, 
and  sat  from  June  17  to  July  26,  1788.  Atkins 
and  Swartwout  voted  against  the  Constitution  ; 
Thompson  did  not  vote.  In  the  convention  of 
1 80 1,  Duchess  county  was  represented  by  Jona- 
than Akin,  Isaac  Bloom,  Caleb  Hazen,  Peter 
Huested,  Edmund  '  Parlee,  Smith  Thompson, 
Joseph  Thorn,  John  VanBenthuysen,  Theodorus 
VanWyckand  Ithamer  Weed  ;  in  that  of  1821,  by 
Elisha  Barlow,  Isaac  Hunting,  Peter  R.  Living- 
ston, Abraham  H.  Schenck  and  James  Tallrnadge ; 
and  in  that  of  1846  by  Peter  K.  Dubois,  Charles 
H.  Ruggles  and  James  Tallmadge,  and  in  that  of 
1867,  by  B.  Piatt  Carpenter,  Wilson  B.  Sheldon 
and  Homer  A.  Nelson,  the  latter  of  whom  was 
delegate  at  large. 

State  Senators. — Previous  to  1821,  the  senator- 
ial districts  were  designated  as  Southern,  Middle, 
Eastern  and  Western.  The  Middle  District  orig- 
inally embraced  Duchess,  Orange  and  Ulster 
counties,  and  was  entitled  to  six  senators.  Subse- 
quently Columbia,  Delaware,  Chenango,  Greene 
and  Sullivan  counties  were  added.  Its  representa- 
tion was  twelve  senators  from  1796  to  1808,  and 
seven  from  1808  to  1815.  April  17,  1815,  Duch- 
ess, Kings,  New  York-,  Putnam,  Queens,  Rich- 
mond, Rockland,  Suffolk  and  Westchester  counties 
were  constituted  the  Southern  District,  and  enti- 
tled to  six  senators.  The  county  retained  this 
connection  during  the  further  continuance  of  the 
First  Constitution. 

Under  the  Second  Constitution,  adopted  in 
1821,  the  State  was  divided  into  eight  senatorial 
districts,  which  were  designated  by  number. 
Duchess  was  united  with  Putnam,  Rockland, 
Orange,  Sullivan,  Ulster  and  Westchester  counties 
in  forming  the  Second  District.  April  18,  1826, 
Delaware  was  annexed,  but  was  transferred  May 
23,  1836,  at  which  time  Queens  and  Suffolk  were 
added.  Each  district  was  entitled  to  four  senators, 
one  of  whom  was  elected  annually  for  the  term  of 
four  years. 

Under  the  Third  or  present  Constitution,  the 
State  is  divided  into  thirty-two  districts,  in  each  of 
which  one  member  is  elected  in  each  odd  year. 
Duchess  was  associated  with  Columbia  in  forming 
the  Eighth  District.  April  13,  1857,  the  same 
counties  were  constituted  the.  Eleventh  District, 
and  maintained  that  relation  until  April  23,  1879, 
when  they  were  associated  with  Putnam  in  forming 
the  Fifteenth  District. 

The  State  senators  from  Duchess  county  have 
been  as  follows:    Jonathan   Landon,    1777-79; 


Zephaniah  Piatt,  i777-'83;  Ephraim  Paine,  1779 
-'81,  1782-85;  Jacobus  Swartwout,  i784-'95  ; 
CorneKus  Humfrey,  i787-'89;  Anthony  Hoffman, 
1788-90;  Thomas  Tillotson,  1791-99;  Abraham 
Schenck,  i796-'99;  Peter  Cantine,  Jr.,  1798-1801 ; 
Isaac  Bloom,  1800-1802  ;  David  VanNess,  1801- 
1802  ;  Abraham  Adriance,  1 803-1 806  ;  Robert 
Johnston,  1804-1807;  Robert  Williams,  i8o8-'ii  ; 
Morgan  Lewis,  i8ii-'i5  i  Wm.  M.  Tabor,  1812- 
'15  ;  Peter  R.  Livingston,  i8i6-'22,  i826-'29  ; 
Stephen  Barnum,  i8i8-'2i  ;  Nathaniel  P.  Tall- 
madge, i83o-'33  ;  Leonard  Maison,  i834-'37  ; 
Henry  A.  Livingston,  i838-'4i;  Abraham  Bockee, 
1 842-' 45  ;  Alexander  J.  Coffin,  1 848-' 49  ;  John 
H.  Otis,  i8s2-'53  ;  William  Kelly,  i856-'57  ; 
John  H.  Ketcham,  i86o-'6i  ;  John  B.  Dutcher, 
i864-'6s:  Abiah  W.  Palmer,  i868-'69,  i872-'73; 
George  Morgan,  1870-71  ;  B.  Piatt  Carpenter, 
i876-'77. 

Members  of  Assembly. — There  has  been  great 
variation  in  Duchess  county's  representation , in  the 
Assembly,  which  has  corresponded  with  that  of  the 
ratio  of  her  population  to  that  of  the  State,  the  ex- 
tremes being  two  and  ten.  She  had  seven  members 
under  the  first  and  second  apportionments — April 
20,1777,  andFeb.  7, 1791;  ten  under  that  of  March 
4j  1796;  seven  under  that  of  March  31st,  1802; 
six  under  that  of  April  i,  1808;  five  under  that 
of  April  8,  1815;  four  under  those  of  April  121 
1822,  and  April  18,  1826;  three  under  those  of 
May  23,  1836,  and  March  8,  1846;  two  under 
those  of  April  13,  1857,  April  15,  1866,  and  April 
23,  1879,  ^^  latter  of  which  remains  in  force.* 

Duchess  was  not  represented  separately  in  the 
Colonial  Assembly  until  1 7 1 3.  Previous  to  that  time 
when  represented  at  all,f  it  was  connected  with  Ul- 
ster county.  The  first  resident  representative  was 
Leonard  Lewis,  who  was  elected  and  served  in  1 7 13 
-'26,  being  associated  in  1715-17  with  Baltus  Van 
Kleeck,  who  served  till  his  death,  and  was  succeed- 
ed by  Johannis  Terbosch,  who  was  admitted  May 
4,  1 7 17,  and  served  till  his  death,  when  Henry 
Beekman  was  chosen  his  successor.  The  latter 
was  admitted  August  31,  1725,  and  served  contin- 
uously until  1758.  Their  successors  were  Johan- 
nis Van  Kleeck,  i726-'37;  Jacobus  Ter  Boss,  1737- 
'43;  Johannis  Tappen,    1743-51;   Henry  Filkin, 

*  Since  1857,  Amenia,  Beekman,  Dover,  East  Fishkil],  Fishkil],  La 
Grange,  North  East,  Pawling,  Pine  Plains,  Stanford,  Union  Vale,  Wap- 
pinger,  (frcm  1875,)  and  Washington,  have  formed  the  First  Assembly 
District  ;  and  Clinton,  Hyde  Park,  Milan,  Pleasant  Valley,  Poughkeep- 
sie, City  of  Poughkeepsie,  Red  Hook  and  Rhinebeck  the  Second. 

tit  would  appear  from  StnitfCs  History  of  New  York  (page  i6z,  Ed. 
1814, }  that  for  some  years  at  least  previous  to  1713,  Duchess  was  not  rep- 
resented. 


124 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


1752-58;  Robert  R.  and  Henry  Livingston,  1759 
-'68;  Leonard  Van  Kleeck  and  Dirck  Brinckerhoff, 
i768-'75. 

Her  deputies  to  the  Provincial  Congress  were : 
Dirck  Brinckerhoff,. Anthony  Hoffman,  Zephaniah 
Piatt,  Richard  Montgomery,  Ephraim  Paine,  Gil- 
bert Livingston,  Jonathan  Landon,  Guisbert 
Schenck,  Melancton-  Smith  and  Nathaniel  Sackett 
in  1775;  Petrus  Ten  Broeck,  Beverly  Robinson, 
Cornelius  Humphreys,  Henry  Schenck,  Gilbert 
Livingston,  John  Kaine,  Jacob  Everson,  Morris 
Graham,  and  Robert  G.  Livingston  in  1775-76; 
Robert  R.  Livingston,  James  Livingston,  Gilbert 
Livingston,  Jonathan  Landon,  Morris  Graham, 
Henry  Schenck,  Theodorus  Van  Wyck,  John 
Schenck,  Anthony  Hoffman,  Paul  Schenck,  Na- 
thaniel Sackett,  Cornelius  Humphreys,  Zephaniah 
Piatt,  James  Vanderburgh,  Benjamin  Delavergne 
and  John  Field  in  1776;  Zephaniah  Piatt,  Na- 
thaniel Sackett,  Gilbert  Livingston,  Doctor  Crane, 
Henry  Schenck,  James  Livingston,  John  Schenck, 
Anthony  Hoffman,  Robert  R.  Livingston  and 
Jonathan  Landon  in  1776-77. 

Her  Members  of  Assembly  have  been :  Egbert 
Benson,    1777-81,     1788;     Dirck    Brinckerhoff, 
1777-80,    1781,    1784-87;    Anthony    Hoffman, 
i777-'79-    1784;  Gilbert   Livingston,    1777,-78, 
1788-89;  Andrew    Moorhouse,  1777-79;    John 
Schenck,  i7Tj-'7g;  Jacobus  Swartwout,  1777-79, 
1780-83;  Joseph  Crane,  Jr.,  1778-79,  1789-90, 
1796-97';    Samuel    Dodge,  1778-81 ;    Annanias 
Cooper,   1779-80;    Henry  Ludenton,    1779-81, 
1786-87;  Brinton  Paine,  1779-81,  1785-87;  Na- 
(thaniel  Sackett,  1779-80;  Ebenezer  Cary,  1780- 
'81,  1784-85;  Guisbert  Schenck,  1780-81 ;  Jona- 
than Dennis,  1781-84;  Cornelius  Humfrey,  1781- 
'85;  Ebenezer  Husted,  1781-84,  1789-90;  Abra- 
ham Paine,  1781-82;  Thomas  Storm,  1781-84; 
Benjamin  Birdsall,  1782-83;  Matthew  Patterson, 
1782-89,  1792-93;  Abraham  Brinckerhoff,  1784- 
'85 ;  James  Tallmadge,  1784-85,  i7gi-'92,  1824; 
John  DeWitt,  1786,  i788-'89, 1794;  Lewis  Duboys, 
i786-'87  ;  Jacob  Griffin,  i786-'87,  i788-'89  ;  John 
DeWitt,  Jr.,  i787-'88;IsaacBloom,i788-'92;  Peter 
Cantine,Jr.,  1788;  Morris  Graham,  1788;  Thomas 
Tillotson,  1788,  1789-90;  Jonathan  Akin,  1788- 
'89,  i79i-'93,  1841;  Samuel  A.  Barker,  1788-92, 
1794-95,  1796-97,  i8o8-'89,  i8ii;  Isaac  J.  Tal- 
man,i789-'9o;JamesKent,  1791,  i792-'93';  Henry 
^       Schenck,   1791;  David  VanNess,    1791 ;   Daniel 
Graham,    1792;    Morgan    Lewis,    1792;    Josiah 
Holly,  i792-'93;  Ebenezer  Mott,  i792-'93,  1798- 
1801;  Barnabas  Payen,  1792-93;  Wm.  Radclift, 


i792-'93;  Jacob  Bockee,  1794-95,  i796-'97; 
David  Brooks,  1794-96,  1810;  Jesse  Oakley, 
1794-97;  Isaac  Van  Wyck,  i794-'96,  i8io-'ii; 
Jacob  Smith,  i795-'98;  Richard  Davis,  i796-'97, 
Solomon  Sutherland,  1796;  Jesse  Thomp- 
son, i796-'98,  i8o8-'o9,  i8i4-'i9;  WiUiam  Pearce, 
i796-'97,  i798-'99;  William  B.  Verplanck, 
i796-'98;  William  Wheeler,  i796-'97;  William 
Barker,  1798,  1800;  Lemuel Clift,  i798-'99,  1810- 
'11  ;  Luther  Holly,  1798;  Joseph  Potter,  1798, 
1814;  Philip  J.  Schuyler,  1798;  John  Thomas, 
1798;  Sanluel  Towner,  1798,  1800;  Abraham 
Adriance,  1798-1802;  Henry  Dodge,  i798-'99, 
i8i2-'i3;  Robert  Johnston,  1798-1801;  Piatt 
Smith,  i798-'99;  Jonathan  Soule,  i798-'99;  Will- 
iam Taber,  1798-1800,  1804;,  John  VanBenthuy- 
sen,  1798-1800,  i8o4-'o6;  William  Emott,  1800; 
Joseph  C.  Field,  1800,  1803,  1806;  Isaac  Sher- 
wood, 1800-1801,  i8o4-'o5;  Benjamin  Akin,  1800- 
1802;  Elisha  Barlow,  1 800-1 802  ;  Nicholas  H. 
Emigh,  1800-1802;  Zalmon  Sanford,  1800-1804; 
Smith  Thompson,  1 800-1 801 ;  John  M.  Thurston, 
1800-1802,  i8o4-'o5;  Theodorus  Bailey,  1802; 
Harry  Garrison,  1802;  Alexander  Spencer,  1802; 
John  Thompson,  1802;  John  Jewett,  1803;  John 
Martin,  i8o3-'o4;  Thomas  Mitchell,  i8o3-'o4; 
Philip  Spencer,  Jr.,  1803;  Theodorus  R.  Van- 
Wyck,  i8o3-'o4;  James  Winchell,  1803;  Joseph 
E.  Hoff,  1804;  Benajah  Thompson,  1804,  1808- 
'09;  Job  Crawford,  i8o4-'o5 ;  Isaac  Hunting, 
i8o4-'os  ;  John  Patterson,  i8o4-'o5  ;  Abraham  H. 
Schenck,  i8o4-'o6  ;  Barnabas  Carver,  1806;  Ben- 
jamin Herrick,  1806;  WiUiam  D.  WilUams,  1806; 
Veniah  Wooley,  i8o6-'o7  ;  John  Haight,i8o7-'o8; 
Aaron  Hazen,  1807;  Theron  Rudd,  1807;  John 
Storm,  1807;  Tobias  L.  Stoutenburgh,  i8o7-'o8; 
Martin  E.  Winchel,  1807-08;  Albro  Akin,  1808, 
i82o-'2i;  Devoue  Bailey,  i8o8^  George  Casey 
and  Cyrenus  Crosby,  1808;  George  Bloom  and 
Derick  A.  Brinckerhoff,  i8o8-'o9;  Ebenezer 
Haight,  i8o8-'io;  Coert  Dubois,  i8io-'ii; 
Alexander  Neely,  i8io-'ii;  Shadrach  Sher- 
man, 1811;  Joseph  Arnold,  Cyrus  Benjamin, 
Isaac  Bryan  and  John  Warren,  1812-13;  Robert 
Weeks,  1812;  John  Beadle,  i8i2-'i3,  i8i4-'is, 
1819  ;  William  A.  Duer,  i8i4-'i7  ;  James  Emott,* 
i8i4-'i5,  i8i6-'i7;  Samuel  Mott,  1814;  Joel 
Benton,  i8i4-'i5,  i8i6-'i7,  1831;  James  Grant, 
1814-15;  Zachariah  Hoffman,  1816;  Thomas  J. 
Oakley,  1816,  i8i8-'2o;  Isaac  Smith,  1816;  John 
B.  Van  Wyck,  1816;  Nathaniel  Pendleton  and 
Abiel    Sherman,    i8i6-'i7;    Benjamin    Haxton, 

*  James  Emott  was  Speaker  of  the  Assembly  in  1814. 


CIVIL  LIST— MEMBERS  OF  ASSEMBLY,  FIRST  AND  COUNTY  JUDGES. 


125 


Andrew  Pray  and  Jehiel  Sackett,  1818;  John  W. 
Wheeler,  1818-20;  James  Ketchum  and  David 
Tomlinson,i8i9;  Abraham  Bockee,  Jacob  Doughty 
and  Mathew  Mesier,  1820;  Benjamin  H.  Conklin, 
Coert  Dubois,  Israel  Harris  and  Joseph  I.  Jack- 
son, 1820-21 ;  John  Cox,  Daniel  Northrup,  Philo 
Ruggles,  Benjamin  Sherman  and  George  Vanden- 
burgh,  1822 ;  Wheeler  Gilbert,  Prince  Hoag, 
Peter  R.  Livingston*  and  Samuel  M.  Thurston, 
1823  ;  John  Klapp  and  Alfred  S.  Pell,  1824;  Gil- 
bert Thome,  1824-25  ;  Eli  Angevine,  John  Arm- 
strong, Jr.,  and  Enos  Hopkins,  1825  ;  Isaac  R. 
Adriance,  Martin  Lawrence  and  Thomas  Tabor, 
2d.,  1826;  Daniel  D.  Akin,  1826,  1833;  Egbert 
Cary,  Jacob  C.  Elmendoif,  Samuel  B.  Halsey  and 
Henry  A.  Livingston,  1827;  Taber  Belding,  1828, 
1837  ;  Francis  A.  Livingston,  George  W.  Slocum 
and  Nathaniel  P.  Tallmadge,  1828;  Elijah  Baker, 
Jr.,  Tobias  Teller  and  Stephen  D.  VanWyck, 
1829;  Stoddard  Judd,  1829,  1835-36;  James 
Hughson,  George  P.  Oakley,  Jacob  VanNess  and 
Philo  M.  Winchell,  1830;  Samuel  B.  Halsey, 
William  Hooker  and  John  E.  Townsend,  1831; 
Robert  Coffin,  Eli  Hamblin,  Michael  S.  Martin 
and  Israel  Shadbolt,  1832  ;  Joel  Brown  and  Geo. 
Lambert,  1833  ;  Henry  Conklin,  1833-34,  1839- 
'40;  Theodore  V.  W.  Anthony,  1834-35  ;  Wra. 
H.  Bostwick,  1834,  1854  ;  James  Mabbett,  1834 ; 
David  Barnes,  Jr.,  and  Stephen  Thorn,  1835  '> 
Abijah  G.  Benedict,  Cornelius  H.  Cornell  and 
William  Eno,  1836  ;  John  R.  Myer  and  David 
Sheldon,  1837  ;  Cornelius  Dubois,  1838;  Freeborn 
Garretson,  1838,  1845;  Jacob  Sisson,  i838-'39; 
Daniel  Toffey,  i839-'40;  Amos  Bryan,  1840; 
Edmund  Elmendorf  and  John  Thompson,  1841; 
Peter  K.  Dubois  and  Richard  C.  VanWyck,  1842; 
John  H.  Ketcham,  i842-'43,  i856-'57;  Gilbert 
Bentley  and  John  Elseffer,  1843  ;  Alexander  H. 
Coffin,  John  K.  Mead  and  Ambrose  L.  Pinney, 
1844 ;  Epenetus  Crosby  and  Walter  Sherman, 
1845,  1847  ;  Elnathan  Haxton,  George  T.  Pierce 
and  Daniel  Sherwood,  1846  ;  Aves  I.  Vanderbilt, 
1847  ;  Edgar  Vincent  and  James  Hammond,  1848- 
'49;  David  Collins,  Jr.,  1848;  Wesley  Butts, 
1849;  Charles  Robinson,  iSso-'si ;  Minor  C. 
Story  and  Stephen  Haight,  1850;  Howland  R. 
Sherman  and  William  H.  Feller,  185 1  ;  John  S. 
Emans  and  Augustus  Martin,  i852-'53;  John  M. 
Keese,  1852;  James  H.  Weeks,  1853;  Peter  P. 
Monfoort  and  George  W.  Sterling,  1854;  Albert 
Emans  and  Ambrose  Wager,  1855,  1858;  Joseph 
E.  Allen,  1855;  Daniel  O.  Ward,  1856;  Jacob  B. 

*  Peter  R.  Livingston  was  Speaker  of  the  Assembly  in  1823. 


Carpenter,  1856,  1873;  Franklin  Dudley  and 
Cornehus  N.  Campbell,  1857;  James  Mackin, 
1859.  i873-'75;  Samuel  J.  Farnum,  1859,  1861 ; 
Richard  J.  Garrettson,  i860;  Abiah  W.  Palmer, 
i860,  1866  ;  John  B.  Dutcher,  i86i-'62  ;  Edmund 
Green,  1862  ;  Luther  S.  Dutcher  and  Joseph  C. 
Doughty,  1863;  John  N.  Cramer,  1864;  James 
Howard,  i864-'6s;  Mark  D.  Wilber,  i865-'67  ; 
Augustus  A.  Brush,  i867-'68;  Alfred  T.  Ackert, 
1868;  David  R.  Gould  and  William  W.  Hege- 
man,  1869;  James  A.  Seward  and  David  H. 
Mulford,  i87o-'7i;  Edward  M.  Goring,  1872;* 
Harvey  G.  Eastman,  1872,  1874;  Benjamin 
S.  Broas,  1875;  Thomas  Hammond  and  De- 
Witt  Webb,  i876-'77  ;  Obed  Wheeler,  i878-'79; 
Peter  Hulme,  1878;  Cornelius  Pitcher,  1879; 
Isaac  S.  Carpenter,  i879-'8o;  James  E.  Dutcher, 
1880. 

J^trsi  and  County  Judges. — The  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas  was  continued  from  the  colonial  period. 
For  most  of  the  time  under  the  First  Constitution 
the  number  of  Judges  and  Assistant  Justices  in 
the  several  counties  differed,  reaching,  in  some 
counties,  as  many  as  twelve  of  each.  March  27, 
18 1 8,  the  office  of  Assistant  Justice  was  abolished, 
and  the  number  of  Judges  limited  to  five,  includ- 
ing the  First  Judge.  The  Judges  were  appointed 
by  the  Governor  and  Senate  for  a  period  of  five 
years.  The  constitution  of  1846  provided  for  the 
election  of  a  County  Judge  for  each  county,  except 
the  city  and  county  of  New  York,  and  the  new 
judiciary  article  extended  the  tenure  of  office  from 
four  to  sue  years,  upon  the  election  of  the  succes- 
sors of  the  present  incumbents. 

The  First  Judges  of  Duchess  county  were : 
Leonard  Lewis,  appointed  in  1716  ;  Jacobus  Ter- 
boss,  Nov.  24,  1739  ;  Martinus  Hoffman,  Dec.  30, 
1749;  Jacobus  Terboss,  May  6,  1755;  Beverly 
Robinson,  May  4,  1769  ;  Ephraim  Paine,  Jan.  30, 
1778  ;t  Zephaniah  Piatt,  June  28,  1781;  David 
Brooks,  Nov.  24,  1795;  John  Johnston,  June  5, 
1807  ;  James  Emott,  April  8,  181 7  ;  Maturin  Liv- 
ingston, Feb.  3,  1823 ;  Daniel  C.  Verplanck, 
March  11,  1828;  Edmund  H.  Pendleton,  Jan.  16, 
1830;  Joseph  I.  Jackson,  Jan.  20,  1840;  Seward 
Barculo,  March  5,  1845  ;  Abraham  Bockee,  April 
8,  1846 ;  John  Rowley,  May  12,  1846.  The 
County  Judges,  since  the  office  was  made  elective, 
have  been:  John  Rowley,  1847;!  Egbert  Q. 
Eldridge,  185 1 ;  Homer  A.  Nelson,  1855  ;§  Charles^ 

"  »  Edward  M.  Goring  was  Sergeant-at-Arms  of  the  Assembly  in  1873. 
t  Resigned  Jan.  30, 1 78 1. 

X  Rowley  was  elected  in  June  :  those  who  succeeded  him,  in  November. 
§  Resigned  Nov.  ^7,  1863. 


r26 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Wheaton,  1863;*  AUard  Anthony,  1867;    Henry 
M.  Taylor,  1871 ;  B.  Piatt  Carpenter,  1877. 

Surrogates. — Previous  to  i8zi.  Surrogates  were 
designated  by  the  Council  of  Appointment ;  from 
182 1  to  1846,  by  the  Governor  and  the  Senate. 
The  constitution  of  1846  abolished  the  office  and 
devolved  its  duties  on  County  Judges,  except  in 
counties  having  a  population  exceeding  40,000,  in 
which  it  was  made  elective.  This  office  has  been 
held  successively  by  Gilbert  Livingston,  appointed 
June  16,  1778;  Anthony  Hoffman,  March  28, 
1785;  Gilbert  Livingston,  March  13,  1787  ;  James 
Tallraadge,  Jr.,  Nov.  9,  1804;  Thomas  J.  Oakley, 
Feb.  9,  1 810;  George  Bloom,  March  11,  1811; 
Philo  Ruggles,  March  19,  1813  ;  Derrick  B.  Stock- 
holm, Feb.  16,  18x5;  John  Brush,  July  9,  1819; 
Ebenezer  N/e,  March  i,  1821;  James  Hooker, 
March  7,  1828  ;  Robert  Wilkinson,  Feb.  10,  1840; 
Virgil  D.  Bonesteel,  Feb.  10,  1844;  John  P.  H. 
Tallman,  1847  ;t  Edgar  Thorn,  1855;  Peter  Dor- 
land,  1859  ;  Milton  A.  Fowler,  1867  ;  Peter  Dor- 
land,  1871J  Collins  Sheldon,  1877. 

District  Attorneys. — The  original  appellation  of 
this  office,  which  was  created  Feb.  12,  1796,  was 
that  of  Assistant  Attorney-General,  who  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  Governor  and  Council.  The  office 
of  District  Attorney  was  created  April  4,  1801. 
At  first  the  State  was  divided  into  seven  districts, 
but  subsequently  several  new  ones  were  formed. 
In  April,  18 18,  each  county  was  constituted  a  sep- 
arate district.  The  office  was  made  elective  by 
the  Constitution  of  1846.  During  the  period  of 
the  district  system  Duchess  belonged  to  the  second 
district,  which  also  included  the  counties  of  Orange 
and  Ulster  under  the  act  of  1796,  and  Delaware, 
Rockland  and  Ulster  under  that  of  1801. 
Duchess  first  filled  the  office,  Jacob  RadclifF  being 
appointed  Feb.  23, 1796.  He  was  succeeded  Jan. 
27,  1798,  by  Coenrad  E.  Elmendorph,  an  Ulster 
county  man,  who  held  the  office  until  the  act  of 
1801  took  effect,  and  for  a  short  time  during  its 
operation.  August  19,  1801,  Smith  Thompson,  of 
Duchess,  succeeded  to  the  office,  and  was  in  his 
turn  succeeded  by  Lucas  Elmendorf,  of  Ulster 
Oct.  28,  1 80 1,  Randall  S.  Street,  of  Poughkeepsie 
Feb.  9,  18 10,  Samuel  Hawkins,  of  Ulster,  Feb.  15, 
1811,  Randall  S.  Street,  of  Poughkeepsie,  March 
19,  1813,  and  George  Bloom,  of  Duchess,  Feb.  13, 
1 8 15.  The  latter  was  reappointed  June  11,  18 18 
,  and  has  been  succeeded  under  the  new  regime  of 
that  year  by  Philo  Ruggles,  appointed  July  8,  i8ig; 

*  Appointed  Nov.  S7,  1863,  vice  Nelson  resigned. 
t  Tallraar.  was  elected  in  June ;  those  who  succeeded  him,  in  Novem- 
ber. 


Francis  A.  Livingston,  Feb.  14,  182 1;  Stephen 
Cleveland,  i826(?);  George  A.  Shufeldt,  1836  (?);  E. 
M.  Swift,  1843  (?) ;  WilHam  Eno,  1845  {?);  Joseph 
T.Lee,  June,  1847;  JamesEmott,  Jr.,Feb. 3, 1849;* 
Thomas  C.  Campbell,  1849;!  Silas  Woodell,  1855  ; 
Benjamin  Piatt  Carpenter,  1858 ;{  Alfred  Antho- 
ny, Dec.  IS,  i86o;§  William  J.  Thorn,  1867  j 
Tristram  Coffin,  1870;  James  L.  Williams,  1873; 
William  B.  Woodin,  1876,  re-elected  in  1879. 

Sheriffs. — Under  the  Colonial  Government, 
Sheriffs  were  appointed  annually,  in  the  month  of 
October,  unless  otherwise  noticed.  Under  the 
First  Constitution,  (1777-1821,)  they  were  ap- 
pointed annually  by  the  Council  of  Appointment, 
and  no  person  could  hold  the  office  for  more  than 
four  successive  years.  The  Sheriff  could  not  hold 
any  other  office,  and  must  be  a  free-holder  in  the 
county  to  which  he  was  ^pointed.  Under  the 
Second  Constitution,  (1S21  to  1846,)  Sheriffs  were 
elected  for  a  term  of  three  years,  but  were  inelig- 
ible to  election  for  the  next  succeeding  term. 
These  provisions  are  operative  at  the  present 
time. 

The  Sheriff  was  once  an  officer  held  in  great  re- 
spect. He  arranged  all  the  ceremonials  of  the 
court,  and  formally  announced  to  the  judges  the 
particular  hour  the  court-room  was  in  order  for 
their  reception.  He  was  equipped  with  side  arms, 
and  kept  his  sword  unsheathed  on  the  desk  in  front 
of  his  seat.  He,  with  his  deputies,  formally  in- 
ducted the  Judges  from  their  lodgings  to  the  court- 
room ;  the  jurors  closed  the  procession.  He 
opened  the  court  with  solemn  proclamation.  In 
every  respect  the  office  of  Sheriff  was  once  of  more 
import  in  the  public  estimation  than  now.  || 

Until  172 1,  Duchess  was  united  with  Ulster 
county  in  the  functions  of  this  office.  The  first 
Sheriff  of  Duchess  county  was  J.  van  ^e  Voert,  who 
was  appointed  in  October,  172 i.l  His  successors 
have  been:  William  Squire,  appointed  in  1731 ; 
James  Willson,  1737;  Henry  Filkin,  1743;  Will- 
iam Barnes,  1748 ;  Isaac  Brinckerhoff,  1749 ;  Clear 
Everit,  1754  ;  James  G.  Livingston,  1761  ;  Hen- 
ry Rosekrans,  Jr.,  1769;  Philip  J.  Livingston,  1772; 
Melancton  Smith,  May  8,  1777,  and  Jan.  6,  1778, 
the  first  time  appointed  by  the  Provincial  Conven- 
tion ;  Lewis  Dubois,  March  22,  1781;  Harmon 
Hoffman,  March  9,  1785;  John  DeWitt,  Feb.  28, 

•  Appointed  vice  Lee,  deceased. 

+  Campbell  and  his  successors  were  elected  in  November. 

X  Resigned.  s 

§  Appointed  vice  Carpenter,  resigned ;  elected  in  1861  and  '64. 

II  Clark's  History  of  Chenango  County. 
_  irj.  van  de  Voerl's  successors  durins:  the  Colonial  period  were  appointed 
m  October. 


CIVIL  LIST— COUNTY  CLERKS,  TREASURERS,  PRESIDENTIAL  ELECTORS.     127 


1789;    John   VanBenthuysen,    Feb.     18,    1793; 
John   Dewitt,  Feb.    21,   1794;  William   Radcliff, 
Feb.   7,  1797  ;   Robert  Williams,  Feb.  18,  1801  ; 
Joseph  Thorn,  Feb.  23,  1805  ;  John  VanBenthuy- 
sen,  March  5,   1807;  Joseph  C.  Field,  Nov.  12, 
1808;  John  VanBenthuysen,  Feb.  9,1810;  Joseph 
C.  Field,  Feb.  15,  181 1  ;  Derick  A.  Brinckerhoff, 
Feb.   4,    181 2  ;  John    Radcliff,  March  19,  1813; 
William  Griffin,  Apjril  8,  1817  ;  Gilbert  Ketchum, 
Feb.  9,  1819  ;  Richard  C.  Van  Wyck,  July,  1819  ; 
William  Griffin,  Feb.  12,  1821  and  elected  in  No- 
vember, 1822  ;*  John  A.  Wood,  1825  ;  Obadiah 
Titus,  1828  ;  Abraham  Myers.  1831  j  Thomas  N. 
Perry,    1834;    Stephen    D.    Van    Wyck,    1837; 
Thomas  N.  Perry,  1840  ;  Alonzo  H.  Mory,  1843; 
David  N.  Seaman,  1846  ;  Alonzo  H.  Mory,  1849  > 
Henry   Rikert,    1852 ;    Moses   C.    Sands,  1855  ; 
James   Hammond,    1858;     Judah    Swift,    1861; 
George   Lamoree,    1864;     Richard    Kenworthy, 
1867  j  CorneUus   Pitcher,    1870  ;   John   G.    Hal- 
stead,   1873  ;   David  Warner,   1876  ;t   James  E. 
Dutcher,  1876  ;  Sylvester  H.  Mase,  1879. 

County  Clerks. — During  the  colonial  period  the 
County  Clerk  was  constituted  by  his  commission. 
Clerk  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  Clerk  of  the 
Peace  and  Clerk  of  the  Sessions  of  the  Peace  in 
his  county.  Under  the  First  Constitution  it  was 
his  duty  to  keep  the  county  records,  and  act  as 
Clerk  of  the  Inferior  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  and 
Clerk  of  the  Oyer  and  Terminer  from  Feb.  12, 
1796.  His  seals  were  the  seals  of  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas.  County  Clerks  are  now  likewise 
Clerks  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  their  respective 
counties,  and  their  seals  are  declared  to  be  the 
seals  of  the  court.  The  term  of  office,  since  the 
adoption  of  the  Constitution  of  182 1,  has  been 
three  years. 

The  office  in  this  county  has  been  filled  succes- 
sively by  Richard  Sackett,  appointed  in  1715; 
Henry  Vanderburgh,  1721;  Henry  Livingston, 
Sept.  15,  1742,  and  May  8,  1777  ;  Robert  Henry 
Livingston,  May  11,  1789;  Gilbert  Livingston, 
Nov.  9,  1804;  David  Brooks,  June  5,  1807  ;  Philip 
Spencer,  Jr.,  Jan.  26,  1809  ;  David  Brooks,  Feb. 
9,  1810;  Philip  Spencer,  Jr.,  Feb.  15,  1811 ;  David 
Brooks,  Feb.  23,  1813 ;  Philip  Spencer,  Feb.  13. 
1815  ;  Jacob  Van  Ness,  July  i,  1815  ;  John  Van 
Benthuysen,  March  2,  1819  ;  John  Johnston,  Feb- 
ruary 4,  1820;  Jacob  Van  Ness,  Feb.  14,  182 1, 
and  elected  in  November,  1822  ;%  Clapp  Raymond, 
1825  ;  Henry  S.  Traver,  1828;  Daniel  W.  Beadle, 

*  Griffin's  successors  were  elected  in  November. 

t  Appointed  March  7,  1876,  vice  Halstead,  deceased. 

t  The  successors  of  Van  Ness  were  elected  in  November. 


1837  ;  Robert  Mitchell,  1840 ;  Joseph  T.  Adriance, 
1846;  George  H.  Tompkins,  1852;  Wilson  B. 
Sheldon,  1858;  Edgar  Vincent,  1864;  John  W. 
Vincent,  1870;  Andrew  C.  Warren,  1873  ;  William 
A.  Fanning,  1876;  Wilson  B.  Sheldon,  1879. 

County  Treasurers  are  elected  under  the  Consti- 
tution of  1846,  for  a  term  of  three  years.  They 
were  previously  elected  by  the  Boards  of  Supervis- 
ors in  the  several  counties.  The  incumbents  of 
the  office  in  this  county,  all  of  whom  were  elected 
in  November,  have  been:  Albert  Van  Kleeck, 
1848;  Leonard  B.  Sackett,  1851 ;  James  H.  Sea- 
man, 1854 ;  John  F.  Hull,  i860  ;  Joseph  C.  Harris, 
1866  ;  Walter  S.  Fonda,  1869;  Frederick  W.  Davis, 
1875;  Seneca  V.  Halloway,  1878. 

County  Superintendents  of  Common  Schools. — 
April  17,  1843,  the  Boards  of  Supervisors  were 
directed  to  appoint  Superintendents  of  Common 
Schools,  and  Augustus  R.  McCord  and  Henry  H. 
Ingraham  were  accordingly  so  appointed  for  the 
Northern  District  in  Duchess  county,  and  Asa  S. 
Clement  and  Levi  S.  Arnold,  for  the  Southern  Dis- 
trict.    The  office  was  abolished  March  13,  1847. 

School  Commissioners. — Prior  to  1857,  School 
Commissioners  were  appointed  by  the  Board  of 
Supervisors.  In  1856  the  office  was  made  elective ; 
and  the  first  election  under  that  act  was  held  in 
November,  1859.  The  office  has  been  held  in 
Duchess  county  by  the  following  named  persons  : 
John  W.  Vincent,  John  S.  Thorn,  Augustus  A. 
Brush,  George  W.  Draper,  Derrick  Brown,  George 
W.  Draper,  John  F.  Schlosser,  in  the  First  Dis- 
trict ;  John  Dearin,  Charles  J.  Howland,  Wright 
D.  Lattin,  Sherman  Hoyt,  Isaac  F.  ColUns,  Edgar 
A.  Briggs  and  Martin  W.  Collins,  in  the  Second 
District ;  WiUiam  Berry  and  E.  J.  Buckingham, 
Presidents  of  the  Board  of  Education  ;  G.  C. 
Burnap,  City  Superintendent;  Richard  Brittan 
and  C.  H.  Andrews,  Clerks  of  the  Board  of  Edu- 
cation ;  and  Edward  Burgess,  City  Superintendent, 
in  Poughkeepsie. 

Presidential  Electors. — The  Federal  Constitu- 
tion provides  that  the  President  and  Vice-Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  shall  be  chosen  by 
Electors  appointed  in  such  manner  as  the  Legis- 
latures of  the  respective  States  shall  direct,  the 
number  to  be  equal  to  the  number  of  their 
Senators  and  Representatives  in  Congress.  In 
this  State  the  Electors  were  originally  appointed 
by  the  Legislature,  pursuant  to  an  act  passed 
April  12,  1792.  March  15,  1825,  the  Legislature 
submitted  to  the  people  the  question  of  choosing 
electors  by  districts,  or  on  a  general  ticket,  and  it 


128 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


was  decided  by  a  small  majority  in  favor  of  the 
former.  The  system  thus  adopted,  however,  was 
in  vogue  at  one  election  only;  for  April  15,  1829, 
the  Legislature  adopted  the  general  ticket  system 
now  in  use.  The  Electors  must  be  appointed  with- 
in thirty-four  days  before  the  first  Wednesday  of 
December,  in  every  fourth  year ;  and  in  this  State, 
as,  indeed,  in  all  the  States,  they  are  now  chosen 
on  the  Tuesday  after  the  first  Monday  of  Novem- 
ber. In  making  up  the  general  ticket,  one  person 
is  selected  from  each  Congressional  district,  and 
two  to  represent  the  State  at  large.  The  Electoral 
College  is  required  to  meet  at  the  State  capitol  on 
the  first  Wednesday  of  December,  cast  their  votes 
for  President  and  Vice-President,  make  a  certified 
list  thereof,  and  forward  it  under  seal  to  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  Senate,  who  opens  and 
announces  the  result  in  the  presence  of  the  two 
houses  of  Congress. 

Duchess  county  has  been  represented  in  the 
Electoral  College  as  follows : — David  VanNess, 
1792;  Peter  Cantine,  Jr.,  1796;  Gilbert  Livings- 
ton, 1 800  ;  Ezra  Thompson,  1 804 ;  James  Tall- 
madge,  1808;  David  VanNess,  1812;  Theodorus 
W.  VanWyck,  1816;  Isaac  Sutherland,  1824; 
Morgan  Lewis,  1828;  William  Taber,  1832; 
James  Hooker,  1836  j  Bartow  White,  1840  ;  John 
C.  Cruger,  1848;  Jacob  B.  Carpenter,  i860.* 

Senators    and  Representatives   in     Congress. 

Duchess  county  has  undergone  several  changes  in 
its  Congressional  associations.     The   State  Legis- 
lature chooses  two  Senators  to  the  Federal  Con- 
gress, who  hold  their  office  for  six  years.     A  Sena- 
tor must  be  an  inhabitant  of  the  State  from  which 
he  is  chosen.     He  must  have  been  nine  years  a  citi- 
zen of  the  United  States,  and  attained  the  age  of 
thirty-five  years.     The  House  of  Representatives 
is  composed  of  members  elected  by  districts.    Rep- 
resentatives hold  office  for  two  years.     They  must 
reside  in  the  State  which  they  are  chosen  to  repre- 
sent, must  have   been  seven  years  citizens  of  the 
United  States,  and  have  attained  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-five years.     After  each   United  States  census, 
which  is  taken  every  ten  years,  Congress  apportions 
the  Representatives  among  the  several  States.    Un- 
der the  act  of  Jan.  27,  1789,  Duchess  was  united 
with  the  towns  of  Salem,  North  Salem,  Cortlandt, 
Yorktown  and  Stephentown  in  Westchester  county,' 
in  forming  a  Congressional  district.    Under  the 
acts    of    December  18,    1792,  March   23,    1797 
March   30,    1802,  March    20,  1804,  and   March 


*  J^es  Holdane  was  elected  in  .S76,  but  did  not  attend.     Alexander 
Orr,  of  Brooklyn,  was  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy. 


8,  1808,  this  county  formed  a  separate  district, 
designated  by  number  under  each  respective 
apportionment,  (except  the  first,  when  the  dis- 
tricts were  not  numbered,)  5,  6,  6,  4;  June  10, 
18 1 2,  this  county,  (except  the  towns  of  Clinton 
and  Rhinebeck,  which  ^tr&  associated  with  Col- 
umbia county,  in  forming  the  sth  district,)  and 
Putnam,  formed  the  4th  district;  under  the  acts  of 
April  17,  1822,  and  June  29, 1832,  it  again  formed 
a  separate  district,  designated  the  sth.  September 
6,  1842,  it  was  associated  with  Putnam  county  in 
forming  the  Sth  district;  July  19,  1851,  and  April 
23,  1862,  in  conjunction  with  Columbia  county,  it 
formed  the  12th  district.  June  18,  1873,  Colum- 
bia, Duchess  and  Putnam  counties  were  consti- 
tuted the  13th  district. 

Duchess  County  has  been  represented  in  the 
United  States  Senate  by  John  Armstrong,  of  Rhine- 
beck,  who  was  appointed  November  6,  1800,  and 
at  the  expiration  of  his  term,  March  3,  1801,  was 
(January  27,  1801,)  appointed  to  a  full  term,  but 
resigned  February  5,  1802;  Theodorus  Bailey,  of 
Poughkeepsie,  who  was  appointed  February  i, 
1803;  Nathaniel  P.  Tallmadge,  of  Poughkeepsie, 
who  was  appointed  February  5,  1833,  and  re-ap- 
pointed January  13,  1840. 

John  Armstrong  was  again  appointed  by  the 
Governor  in  the  recess  of  the  Legislature  in  De- 
cember, 1803,  and  again  February  3,  1804,  on  the 
resignation  of  Theodorus  Bailey,  but  the  position 
was  each  time  vacated  by  the  meeting  of  the  Leg- 
islature, (U.  S.  Constitution,  art.  i,  sec.  3,  II.) 

The  Representatives  in  Congress  from  Duchess 
County  have  been :  Egbert  Benson,  of  Red  Hook, 
1789-1793,  i8i3-'is,  (resigned;)  Theodorus 
Bailey,  of  Poughkeepsie,  1793-1797,  1799-1803, 
(elected  in  November,  1801,  in  place  of  Thomas 
Tillottson,  of  Red  Hook,  who  did  not  attend ;) 
David  Brooks,  1797-99;  Isaac  Bloom,  of  Red 
Hook,  1803,  (died  in  1803;)  Daniel  C.  Ver- 
planck,  of  Fishkill,  1803-1809,  (elected  Oct.  8, 
1803,  vice  Bloom,  deceased;)  James  Emott,  of 
Poughkeepsie,  1809-1813;  Thomas  J.  Oakley,  of 
Poughikeepsie,  i8i3-'is,  i827-'28,  (resigned  May 
9, 1 82 8,  having  accepted  the  office  of  Judge  1)  Abra- 
ham H.  Schenck,  of  Fishkill,  i8is-'i7;  James 
Tallmadge,  Jr.,  of  Poughkeepsie,  181 7-' 19,  (elect- 
ed in  June,  1817,  vice  Henry  B.  Lee,  of  Putnam 
county,  deceased;)  Randall  S.- Street,  of  Pough- 
keepsie, i8i9-'2i ;  William  W.  VanWyck,  of  Fish- 
kill, i82i-'2S  ;  Bartow  White,  of  Fishlill,  1825- 
'27;  Thomas  Taber,  of  Dover,  1827-29,  (resigned 
Feb.  6,  1829;)  Abraham  Bockee,  of  Federal  Store, 


MILITARY  HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


I2g 


1829-31,  1833-37  ;  Edmund  H.  Pendleton,  of 
Hyde  Park,  1831-33;  Obadiah  Titus,  1837-39; 
Charles  Johnson,  of  Poughkeepsie,  1839-41  ; 
Richard  D.  Davis,  of  Poughkeepsie,  1841-45 ; 
William  W.  Woodruff,  of  Hyde  Park,  1845-' 47; 
Gilbert  Dean,  of  Poughkeepsie,  1851-54,  (resigned 
in  July,  1854;)  James  Teller,  of  Matteawan, 
1854-55,  (elected in  November,  1854, »w  Gilbert 
Dean,  resigned ;)  John  Thompson,  of  Poughkeep- 
sie, 1857-59;  Stephen  Baker,  of  Poughkeepsie, 
i86i-'63;  Homer  A.  Nelson,  of  Poughkeepsie, 
1863-65 ;  John  H.  Ketcham,  of  Dover  Plains, 
1865-73,  1877-83 ;  John  O.  Whitehouse,  of 
Poughkeepsie,  1873-77. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 


Military  History  of  Duchess  County — French 
AND  English  Colonial  Wars — War  of  the 
Revolution  —  Military  Organizations  in 
Duchess — Provincial  Congress  —  Measures 
FOR  the  Formation  of  a  State  Government 
— Continental  Ship  Yard  at  Poughkeepsie 
— Chain  Across  the  Hudson — Sir  Hen- 
ry Clinton's  Expedition  up  the  Hudson 
— Reduction  of  Forts  Clinton  and  Mont- 
gomery— Gen.  Vaughn  Destroys  Kingston — 
His  Operations  in  Duchess  County — The 
Duchess    Invincibles  —  Surrender  of  Bur- 

GOYNE  AND     MaRCH     OF    HIS     ArMY    ThROUGH 

Duchess  County  as  Prisoners  of  War — Fish- 
kill  A  Depot  of  Supplies  for  the  Continen- 
tal Army — Historic  Associations  of  J'ish- 
KiLL — Enoch  Crosby— Revolutionary  Inci- 
dents IN  Pawling — Adoption  of  the  State 
Constitution  —  Printed  in  Fishkill — State 
Government  removed  to  Poughkeepsie  — 
Tories  Attempt  the  Seizure  of  Notable 
Men — Articles  of  Confederation  Ratified 
by  the  Legislature  in  Poughkeepsie — The 
Convention  to  Consider  the  Revised  Fed- 
eral Constitution  Meet  in  Poughkeepsie — 
War  of  1812. 

THERE  is  little  of  interest  in  the  military  his- 
tory of  Duchess  County  previous  to  the 
Revolution.  Her  citizens  were,  indeed,  called  on 
to  render  military  services,  but  her  borders  were 
not  the  theater  of  active  operations.  In  1696, 
when  the  settlements  of  the  county  must  have  been 
very  sparse,  the  daring  incursions  of  the  French 
and  Indians  in  the  war  then  waging,  called  forth 


the  following  action  on  the  part  of  the  New  York 
Government : — 

'' Resolved  for  the  future,  th.zX  Six  pounds  shall 
be  given  to  each  Christian  or  Indian  as  a  Reward 
who  shall  kill  a  fifrench  man  or  Indian  Enemy— 
within  three  miles  of  Albany  or  any  other  Settled 
farme  in  Albany,  Ulster  or  Dutchesse  Countyes." 

A  printed  proclamation  to  that  effect  was  issued 
May  1 1,  1696.*  Nov.  9, 1696,  Gov.  Fletcher,  refer- 
ring to  an  anticipated  attack  of  French  and  Indians 
on  Albany  that  winter,  speaks  hopefully  of  his 
ability  to  successfully  resist  such  invasion  with  the 
forces  he  then  had  and  such  as  he  might  be  able  to 
draw  from  Ulster  and  Duchess  counties  in  case  of 
alarm.f  From  1744  to  1748,  the  French  and  En- 
gUsh  were  again  at  war,  and,;like  all  their  wars  from 
the  commencement  of  American  colonization,  the 
colonists  of  these  respective  nations  in  the  western 
hemisphere  were  involved  in  these  hostilities.  May 
30,  1746,  Gov.  Clinton  laid  before  the  Council  a 
letter  from  Col.  Beekman,  relating  to  the  raising  of 
men  in  Duchess  County,  and  was  advised  by  that 
body  to  engage  200  men,  and  recommend  the  As- 
sembly to  provide  ammunition,  pay  and  subsistence 
for  them.f  During  the  war  from  1755  to  1763, 
which  terminated  French  dominion  in  Canada,  the 
services  of  the  citizens  of  Duchess  county  were 
again  called  into  requisition.  The  surrender  of 
the  forts  at  Oswego  to  a  French  force  under  Gen. 
Montcalm,  August  14,  1756,  induced  Gov.  Hardy 
to  call  out  all  the  militia  of  Duchess  and  Ulster 
counties,  who  were  dispatched  to  Albany  to  co- 
operate with  Lord  Loudon,  who,  a  little  later  that 
year  marched  an  army  through  the  county  en  route 
to  Lake  George.  He  traversed  the  old  post  road, 
which  is  said  to  have  been  opened  by  his  direction. 
About  the  same  time  a  detachment  of  Connecticut 
militia  crossed  the  towns  of  Dover  and  Amenia 
to  re-enforce  his  army  in  the  North.§ 

These  French  and  Indian  wars,  especially  the 
later  ones,  were  not  without  significance  and  import- 
ance. They  were  the  school  in  which  were  trained 
many  who  were  destined  to  take  a  prominent  part 
in  the  struggle  then  impending  for  colonial  inde- 
pendence ;  for  in  March,  1764,  the  year  following 
the  treaty  of  Paris,  which  ceded  Canada  to  the 
English,  and  put  an  end  to  PYench  domination  on 
this  continent,  the  odious  stamp  act  was  passed, 
and  though  it  was  repealed  two  years  later, 
(March  18,  1766,)  in  response  to  the  petition  of  a 

*  Col.  Hist,  IV,  ISO. 

t  Ibid,  24  !• 

X  Ibid  VI.,  550. 

§  Col.  Hist.  VII.,   124,  199. 


130 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Congress  in  which  nine  of  the  thirteen  Colonies 
were  represented,  the  intense  feeling  of  indigna- 
tion and  hostility  it  aroused  was  only  partially  al- 
layed. The  seed  of  American  independence  had 
been  sown  in  fruitful  soil,  and  the  continued  acts 
of  oppression  by  the  English  government  only 
brought  it  to  an  earlier  maturity.  When,  on  the 
igth  of  April,  1775,  the  first  mart)frs  to  the  cause 
of  Liberty  surrendered  their  lives  on  the  common 
at  Lexington,  the  impulses  which  had  long  been 
repressed  in  the  breasts  of  the  patriots  burst  into 
activity,  and  the  flame  then  kindled  burned  with 
increasing  brightness  until  American  independence 
was  accomplished. 

The  desire  for  independence  was  by  no  means  a 
unanimous  sentiment.  In  Duchess  county,  but 
not  more  than  in  other  localities,  a  large  and  re- 
spectable minority  opposed  it.*  The  line  between 
the  Whig  and  Tory  elements  was  sharply  drawn, 
and  collisions  between  them  were  of  frequent  oc- 
currence. In  the  summer  of  1776,  this  county 
was  the  scene  of  an  insurrection  against  the  au- 
thority of  the  Provincial  Congress,  but  it  was  soon 
suppressed,  not,  however,  without  the  aid  of  the 
militia  from  Connecticut.  Many  arrests  were 
made,  more  than  enough  to  fill  the  jail  at  Pough- 
keepsie,  so  that  some  of  the  offenders  were  sent  to 
the  jail  in  the  adjoining  county  of  Litchfield. 

In  March,  i77S,t  a  few  Whigs  met  at  the  house 
of  John  Bailey,  about  three  miles  from  Poughkeep- 
sie,  and  erected  a  liberty  pole,  with  a  flag,  on  one 
side  of  which  was  inscribed  the  words,  "  The 
King,"  and  on  the  other,  "  The  Congress  and  Lib- 
erty." The  sheriff  of  the  county,  attended  by  a 
judge  of  the  inferior  court,  two  justices,  a  con- 
stable, and  some  other  Tories,  cut  down  the  pole 
"  as  a  public  nuisance."  A  furious  altercation  af- 
terwards took  place  between  the  sheriff  and  Hon. 
Zephaniah  Piatt,  who  was  one  of  the  party  that 
raised  the  pole.  The  sheriff  accused  him  of  trea- 
son and  threatened  to  arrest  him,  but  Piatt  seized 
a  club  and  declared  he  would  knock  his  brains  out 
if  he  touched  him.  The  sheriff  drew -his  sword, 
but  finally  withdrew  without  attempting  the  arrest. 

*  The  lists  of  those  who  signed  or  refused  to  sign  the  articles  of  asso- 
ciation  show  a  radical  difference  in  the  views  even  of  members  of  the 
same  family,  and  in  some  of  the  Precincts  almost  an  equal  division.  For 
instance ;  In  Rhinebeck  Prednct,  of  480  freeholders  and  inhabitants 
z62  signed  and  lis  refused;  in  Rombout  Precinct,  of  762  persons,  joi 
signed  and  260  refused ;  in  Beekman  Precinct,  of  386  persons  257 
signed  and  13S  refused;  in  Poughkeepsie  Precinct,  of  295  persons  21! 
signed  and  82  refused.  ' 

t  Benson  J.  Lossing's  Sketches  of  Local  History,  in  The  Dutchess 
Farmer  of  Dec.  12,  .876,  to  which,  and  to  other  documents  kindly  furn- 
ished by  that  gentleman,  we  are  largely  indebted  for  the  materials  of  this 
chapter.    A  writer  in  the  Poughkeepsie  Weekly  Eagle  of  July  8  1876 
makes  the  date  of  this  event,  July,  1775, 


The  following  year,  when  Burgoyne  was  making 
his  victorious  march  toward  the  valley  of  the  Hud- 
son, the  Tories  of  Duchess  became  bold,  and  de- 
fied the  militia  guard  which  had  been  established. 
About  four  hundred  of  them,  well  armed,  assem- 
bled at  "  Carpenter's,"  now  Washington  Hollow, 
and  threatened  destruction  to  all  the  Whigs  in  the 
neighborhood.  An  expedition  was  immediately 
set  on  foot  in  Sharon,  Conn.,  to  break  up  the  gang. 
A  strong  party  of  armed  volunteers  gathered  at 
Bloom's  Mills,  north  of  Washington  Hollow,  and 
early  in  the  morning  marched  to  the  latter  place, 
where  they  found  the  Tories  paraded  in  a  meadow. 
Marching  up  with  spirit,  the  volunteers  fired  on 
the  insurgents,  who  broke  and  fled.  Thirty  or 
forty  of  them  were  captured  and  taken  first  to 
Connecticut  and  afterward  to  New  Hampshire, 
where  they  were  confined  for  about  two  years. 
About  the  same  time  seven  Tories  were  committed 
to  the  jail  at  Poughkeepsie  for  robbing  several 
houses.  They  were  all  painted  and  dressed  hke 
Indian  men,  but  it  was  found  that  five  of  them 
were  women— three  of  them  a  mother  and  her  two 
daughters. 

Numerous  minor  affairs,  some  of  them  resulting 
in  loss  of  life,  occurred  in  various  parts  of  the 
county,  and  thefts  and  other  acts  of  violence  by 
Tories  continually  disturbed  the  Whig  families  of 
the  county.  Individuals  persisted  in  their  hostility, 
or  were  pronounced  in  their  loyalty  to  the  King, 
and  June  30,  1778,  the  sentence  of  banishment 
was  pronounced  by  a  committee  of  the  Provincial 
Congress  of  New  York,  appointed  to  "  detect  con- 
spiracies," against  the  following  residents  of  Duch- 
ess county :  William  Smith,  James  Smith,  Cofael- 
ius  Luyster,  Dirck  Van  Vliet,  John  Terrill,  James 
Scott,  Theophilus  Nelson,  Richard  Wilhams, 
Lodowick  Strydt,  Samuel  Mabbett,  Agrippa  Martin, 
Myndert  Velie,  Zebulon  Walbridge,  Joseph  Zeed, 
William  Brady,  Joseph  Mabbett  and  Benjamin 
Lapham. 

Pending  the  earnest  efforts  of  the  several  colo- 
nies to  bring  about  a  reconciliation  with  the  mother- 
country,  and  at  the  same  time  to  enforce  a  recog- 
nition of  their  rights  by  Pariiament,  a  general 
congress,  suggested  by  New  York  statesmen  and 
called  by  Boston,  was  formed  by  the  colonies  to 
secure  concert  of  action.  Feb.  23,  1775,  "the 
Tory  Assembly  of  New  York"  declined  to  send 
delegates  to  the  second  Continental  Congress.  In 
March  of  that  year,  the  "  Committee  of  Sixty," 
composed  of  inhabitants  of  the  city  and  county  of 
New  York,  and  charged  with  the  duty  of  "  carrying 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR. 


131 


into  execution  the  Association  entered  into  by  the 
Continental  Congress,"  issued  a  call  to  the  several 
counties  throughout  the  Province,  to  elect  deputies 
to  a  Provincial  Convention,  to  be  held  in  New 
York  City,  April  20,  1775,  for  the  purpose  of 
choosing  delegates  to  represent  the  colony  in  that 
Congress.  That  body  met  at  the  time  appointed 
at  the  Exchange  in  New  York  City.  Duchess 
county  was  represented  in  its  deUberations  by  Eg- 
bert Benson,  Morris  Graham  and  Robert  R. 
Livingston,  the  latter  of  whom  was  a  member  of 
the  last  General  Assembly.  It  elected  delegates 
to  the  Continental  Congress,  "  to  concert  and  de- 
termine upon  such  measures  as  should  be  judged 
most  effectual  for  the  preservation  and  re-estab- 
lishment of  American  rights  and  privileges,  and  for 
the  restoration  of  harmony  between  Great  Britain 
and  her  colonies." 

.  The  convention  dissolved  on  the  22d  of  April, 
and  the  following  day  (Sunday)  the  news  of  the 
battle  of  Lexington  reached  the  city,  producing 
great  excitement  and  indignation.  The  "  Com- 
mittee of  Sixty  "  was  increased  to  a  "  Committee 
of  One  Hundred,"  which  "  resolved  to  stand  or  fall 
with  the  liberty  of  the  Continent." 

April  29,  1775,  ten  days  after  the  battle  of  Lex- 
ington, a  large  gathering  of  "  the  freemen,  freeholders 
and  inhabitants  of  the  city  and  county  of  New 
York,"  met  and  formulated  the  following  pledge, 
which  was  circulated  in  the  several  counties  for 
signatures : — 

"  Persuaded  that  the  salvation  of  the  rights  and 
liberties  of  America  depend,  under  God,  on  the 
firm  union  of  its  inhabitants  in  a  vigorous  prosecu- 
tion of  the  measures  necessary  for  its  safety  ;  and 
convinced  of  the  necessity  of  preventing  anarchy 
and  confusion,  which  attend  a  dissolution  of  the 
powers  of  government,  we,  the  freemen,  freehold- 
ers, and  inhabitants  of ,  being  greatly 

alarmed  at  the  avowed  design  of  the  ministry  to 
raise  a  revenue  in  America,  and  shocked  by  the 
bloody  scenes  now  acting  in  Massachusetts  Bay, 
do,  in  the  most  solemn  manner,  resolve  never  to 
become  slaves,  and  do  associate,  under  all  the  ties 
of  religion,  honor  and  love  to  our  country,  to  adopt 
and  endeavor  to  carry  into  execution,  whatever 
measures  may  be  recommended  by  the  Continental 
Congress,  or  resolved  upon  by  our  Provincial  Con- 
vention, for  the  purpose  of  preserving  our  con- 
stitution, and  opposing  the  execution  of  the 
several  arbitrary  and  oppressive  acts  of  the  British 
Parliament,  until  a  reconciliation  between  Great 
Britain  and  America,  on  constitutional  principles, 
(which  we  most  ardently  desire,)  can  be  obtained; 
and  that  we  will  in  all  things  follow  the  advice  of 
our  General  Committee,  respecting  the  purposes 
aforesaid,  the  preservation  of  peace  and  good  order, 
and  the  safety  of  individuals  and  private  property." 


This  pledge  was  approved  and  signed  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Provincial  Congress,  and  placed  in  the 
hands  of  committees  to  circulate  through  the  coun- 
ties. It  was  signed  by  1,820  persons,  in  Duchess 
county  J  964  refused  to  sign  it.  Some  who  signed 
qualified  their  signatures  by  certain  restrictions. 
The  names  of  those  who  signed,  as  well  as  those 
who  refused  to  do  so,  are  preserved,  but  we  have 
not  the  space  to  reproduce  them  here. 

This  first  Provincial  Congress. began  at  once  tc 
devise  measures  for  the  general  safety.  The  rais- 
ing of  men  and  munitions  was  authorized.  County 
Committees  of  Safety  were  appointed,  and  Egbert 
Benson,  of  Red  Hook,  was  made  chairman  of  the 
committee  for  this  district.  Precinct  committees 
were  also  formed,  and  disaffected  parties  were 
brought  under  a  strict  surveillance.  Warrants 
authorizing  the  recruiting  of  men  in  Duchess 
county  were  issued  June  28,  1775,  to  Captains 
Henry  B.  Livingston,  Louis  Dubois,  Andrew  Bil- 
lings and  Rufus  Herrick ;  to  First  Lieutenants 
Jacob  Thomas,  Ehas  Van  Benschoten,  Jr.,  Ezekiel 
Cooper  and  Charles  Graham,  and  to  Second  Lieu- 
tenants Roswel  Wilcox,  Cornelius  Adriance,  John 
Langdon  and  Jesse  Thompson.  In  September, 
1775,  commissions  were  issued  to  the  officers  of 
nine  companies  in  Charlotte  Precinct,  seven  in 
Rombout  Precinct,  five  in  Rhinebeck  Precinct, 
four  each  in  Beekman  and  Amenia  Precincts,  and 
one  in  South  East  Precinct.  Oct.  17,  1775,  com- 
missions were  issued  to  the  officers  of  seven 
regiments  in  Duchess  county,  including  two  of 
minute  men. 

August  18,  1775,  the  County  Committee  re- 
solved to  furnish  a  sufficient  guard  to  the  commit- 
tee in  each  Precinct,  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the 
Tories  in  the  county,  who  were  to  be  requested  in 
a  friendly  manner  to  surrender  their  firelocks  for 
the  use  of  the  Continental  forces,  at  a  reasonable 
price,  to  be  affixed  by  one  of  the  committee  and  a 
person  selected  by  the  individual  so  surrendering 
it.  In  case  of  disagreement,  an  appraisement  was 
to  be  made  by  a  person  selected  by  these  two  ; 
and  in  case  of  refusal,  such  firelocks  were  to  be 
taken  forcibly,  and  a  Ust  of  the  names  of  persons 
from  whom  they  were  taken,  with  their  value  at- 
tached, was  to  be  preserved.  A  considerable  num- 
ber of  guns  were  thus  obtained  for  the  use  of  the 
army. 

July  8,  1775,  the  first  Provincial  Congress  hav- 
ing resolved  to  adjourn,  certain  of  its  members  were 
appointed  a  Committee  of  Safety,  charged  with  the 
general  supervision  of  the  affairs  of  the  Province 


132 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


when  the  Congress  was  not  in  session.  The  sec- 
ond and  third  Congresses  also  met  in  New  York 
City,  the  former  Nov.  14,  1775,  and  the  latter 
May  14,  1776.  The  Congress,  though  deriving  its 
authority  from  the  people,  was  a  revolutionary 
body,  and  owed  its  existence  to  the  exigencies  of 
the  times.  At  its  third  session,  in  conformity  with 
the  spirit  of  a  resolution  adopted  by  the  Conti- 
nental Congress  May  15,  1776,  measures  were  first 
introduced  for  the  formation  of  an  adequate  gov- 
ernment. A  motion  to  appoint  a  committee  to 
devise  a  plan  for  this  purpose  met  with  strenuous 
opposition  from  Hhose,  who,  jealous  of  every  as- 
sumption of  power,  affirmed  that  that  body  was  not 
delegated  with  such  powers.  Hence  the  subject 
was  referred  to  a  committee,  who  reported  on  the 
27th  of  May,  "that  the  right  of  framing,  creating 
or  remodeling  of  civil  governments  is,  and  ought 
to  be,  in  the  people,"  and  recommended  that,  in- 
asmuch as  doubts  existed  relative  to  the  powers  of 
that  Congress  in  the  premises,  a  newCongress  be 
elected  by  the  people,  specially  instructed  upon 
the  question  of  a  new  government.  The  old  gov- 
ernment was  declared  to  be  dissolved,  the  royal 
governor  having  taken  refuge  under  the  guns  of 
the  British  fleet.  "This  report,"  says  Hon. 
Chauncey  M.  Depew,  in  an  address  delivered  at 
the  Kingston  Centennial,  in  1877,  "is  remarkable 
as  the  earUest,  clearest,  and  most  emphatic  declar- 
ation of  the  doctrine  of  popular  sovereignty."  On 
the  31st  of  May,  in  consonance  with  the  report  of 
the  committee,  resolutions  were  adopted  calling  on 
the  people  to  elect  a  new  body  empowered  to 
form  a  new  government,  and  instructed  also  upon 
the  question  of  united  colonial  independence. 

In  the  meantime  the  seat  of  war  was  transferred 
to  New  York.  On  the  25th  of  June,  the  British 
fleet  and  army  under  Lord  Howe,  arriyed  off  Sandy 
Hook,  and  on  the  30th,  the  Congress,  apprehen- 
sive of  an  attack,  resolved  that  the  next  Congress 
should  meet  at  White  Plains,  and  adjourned.  The 
newly  elected  delegates  met  at  the  court  house  in 
that  village  July  9,  1776,*  and  on  the  forenoon  of 
that  day,  a  letter  inclosing  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence, which  had  been  adopted  by  the  Con- 
tinental Congress  on  the  4th,  was  received  from 
New  York's  delegates  in  that  body.  On  the  after- 
noon of  the  same  day,  this  newly  created  body, 
with  a  marvelous  heroism,  while  lamenting  the 
"  cruel  necessity,"  concurred  in  that  Declaration, 
and  instructed  their  delegates  in  the  Continental 

m — 

•Duchess  county's  delegates  to  this  and  other  Congresses  have  been 
named  in  the  Civil  List,  seep.  124. 


Congress  to  support  the  same,  and  give  their 
united  aid  to  all  measures  necessary  to  attain  its 
object.  This  was  an  act  which,  if  the  issue  was 
successful,  would  crown  them  as  patriots,  but 
which,  if  a  failure,  would  stamp  them  as  traitors 
and  felons.  The  following  day,  July  loth,  the 
Congress  assumed  the  name  of  the  "  Convention 
of  Representatives  of  the  State  of  New  York." 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  loth  the  Convention 
resolved  to  enter  upon  the  formation  of  a  new 
government  on  the  i6th,  but  by  that  time  the' 
situation  of  affairs  had  become  too  alarming  for 
deliberation.  Washington  was  contemplating  the 
abandonment  of  New  York.  British  ships  of  war 
were  anchored  off"  Tarrytown,  within  six  miles  of 
where  they  were  then  sitting.  Their  whole  atten- 
tion was  occupied  in  raising  troops  and  supplies 
and  providing  for  the  public  welfare.  In  the 
meantime  they  ordained  that  all  civil  officers  well 
affected  toward  independence  continue  the  ex- 
ercise of  their  duties  until  further  ordered,  except 
that  all  processes  thereafter  must  issue  in  the  name 
of  the  State  of  New  York.  It  was  declared  to  be 
treason,  and  punishable  with  death,  for  any  one 
living  within  the  State,  and  enjoying  the  protection 
of  its  laws,  to  adhere  to  the  cause  of  the  King  of 
Great  Britain,  or  levy  war  against  the  State  in  his 
behalf. 

On  the  27th  of  July,  the  Convention  found  it 
necessary  to  move  to  Harlem.  From  Harlem  the 
Convention  removed  to  King's  Bridge,  thence  to 
Odell's,  in  Philipse's  Manor,  and  from  thence  Aug- 
ust 29,  1776,  to  Fishkill,  where  "they  supplied 
themselves  with  arms  and  ammunition,  and  there- 
after legislated  with  their  swords  by  their  sidesj  lit- 
erally building  the  peaceful  fabric  of  constitutional 
government  in  the  very  presence  of  the  alarms,  the 
perils,  and  the  carnage  of  war." 

At  Fishkill  the  Convention  first  met  in  the  Epis- 
copal church,  September  sth,but  that  building  was 
not  in  a  fit  condition  to  be  occupied,  being,  so  the 
chronicles  say,  "very  foul  with  dung  of  birds  and 
fowls,  without  any  benches,  seats,  or  conveniences 
whatever."  They  therefore  removed  to  the  Dutch 
church,  which  is  still  standing.  Here  sessions  were 
held  at  intervals  till  Feb.  ii,  1777,  when  they  ad- 
journed to  Kingston,  where  the  final  session  was 
begun  on  the  6th  of  March. 

During  this  time,  from  July  11,  1775,  to  March 
S,  1777,  the  government  was  often  confided  to 
the  Committee  of  Safety  owing  to  the  extreme 
difficulty  of  keeping  so  large  a  body  together  at  this 
critical  period,  and  from  Sept.  2,  1776,  to  Feb.  14, 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR. 


133 


1777,  this  committee,  at  intervals,  held  its  sessions 
at  Fishkill. 

Nathaniel  Sackett,  who  was  born  and  received 
his  education  in  Orange  county,  but  was  then  a 
resident  of  Fishkill,  was  secretary  of  the  commit- 
tee, and  Jan.  3,  1777,  was  authorized  by  that  body 
"to   employ  such   detachments   of  the  militia  of 
Duchess  county  as  are  not  in  actual  service,  as  he 
may  deem  expedient,"  "  for  inquiring  into,  detect- 
ing and   defeating  all  conspiracies  which  may  be 
found,  *    *    *  against  the  Liberties  of  America."* 
In  i775i  Poughkeepsie  was  selected  as  one  of 
the  places  where  vessels  for  the  Continental  navy 
were  to  be  built;  and  on  the  7th  of  March,  1776, 
workmen  and  materials  were    conveyed    to   that 
place  by  sloop  from  New  York,  the  navigation  of 
the   lower  Hudson  being  then  .uninterrupted  by 
ice.      Before  the   middle  of  that  month,  a  sloop 
came  down  from  Albany,  laden  with  lumber  from 
the  mills  of  Gen.    Schuyler  at  Saratoga,  for  the 
ship  yard  at  Poughkeepsie,  which  was  in  the  lo- 
cality of  Southwick's  tannery,  near  the  lower  land- 
ing.    There   in    1776,  the  frigates    Congress  and 
Montgomery,  the  former  of  twenty-eight,  and  the 
latter  of  twenty-four  guns,  were   built,   launched 
and  equipped,  under  the  supervision  of  Captains 
Lawrence  and  Tudor.     They  are  said  to  have  been 
staunch  vessels  and   of  good   model ;    but    they 
never  got  to  sea,  as  the  British  held  the  mouth  of 
the  river  from  the  time  they  were  built  till  1783. 
They  were   wintered   at  the  mouth  of  Rondout 
Creek;   and  are  supposed  to  have  been  burned 
in  1777,  to  prevent  their  falling  into  the  hands  of 
the  enemy  when  Sir  Henry  Clinton  took  the  forts 
in    the  highlands.      One    or   two  fire-ships    with 
fire-arrows  were  fitted  out  here  by  Capt.  Hazel- 
wood  in  the  summer  of  i776.t     Robert  R.  Living- 
ston, in  a  letter  to  John  Jay,  under  date  of  May 
21,  1776,  urged  the  importance  of  building  here 
"  fourteen  or  fifteen  hght  boats,  capable  of  carry- 
ing a  twelve-pounder,   to  secure  Hudson  River, 
which,"  he  said,  "  is  to  be  the  chief  scene  of  ac- 
tion."t 

Stedman,  the  English  historian,  mentions  the 
fact  that  two  frigates,  two  galleys  and  an  armed 
sloop  belonging  to  the  Americans,  lay  at  anchor 
under  the  guns  of  Forts  Montgomery  and  Clinton, 
when  those  works  were  taken  by  the  forces  under 

*  Fishkill  in  the  Revohitian,  by  J.  Hervey  Coolc,  in  the  Fishkill 
Standard  oi  April  12.  1876. 

+  Contribution  from  Benson  J.  Lossing  to  the  Poughkeepsie  Weekly 
Eagle  of  Feb.  26,  1876,  and  Sketches  of  Local  History,  by  the  same 
mthor,  m  The  jDutchess  Farmer  o(X>ec.JZ,  1876.  Local  Reminiscences 
in  The  Sunday  Courier,  of  Poughkeepsie,  April  zo,  1873. 

t  Clarkson's  Clermont,  or  Livingston  Manor,  87. 


Sir  Henry  Clinton,  Oct.  6,  1777,  and,  being  unable 
to  escape  by  reason  of  adverse  winds,  were  fired 
by  their  crews. 

July  25,  1776,  a  secret  committee  of  the  Con- 
vention met  at  Poughkeepsie  and  ordered  the 
building  of  a  boom  and  chain  across  the  Hudson 
at  Fort  Montgomery,  to  prevent  vessels  from  the 
British  fleet  ascending  the  river.  The  greater  por- 
tion of  that  chain  was  brought  down  from  Ticon- 
deroga ;  the  remainder  was  wrought  by  Theophilus 
Anthony,  a  blacksmith,  whose  shop  was  at  Milton 
Ferry,  about  four  miles  below  Poughkeepsie, 
(where  he  also. carried  on  farming  and  milling;) 
now  the  "  Spring  brook ''  property  of  his  descend- 
ants, the  Gill  family.  For  these  services  the  prop- 
erty of  this  staunch  Whig  was  destroyed  by  the 
British  expedition  which  burned  Kingston  in  the 
fall  of  1 7  7  7,which  was  piloted  up  the  river  by  a  Duch- 
ess county  Tory,  who  lived  at  Barnegat,  (Clinton 
Point,)  and  knew  all  the  Whigs  in  this  locality.* 

This  chain  was  stretched  from  the  mouth  of 
Poplopen  Kill  to  Anthony's  nose,  a  lofty  projecting 
rocky  eminence,  tunnelled  by  the  Hudson  River 
Railroad.  It  was  1,800  feet  long,  weighed,  says 
Stedman,  over  50  tons,  and  is  supposed  to  have 
cost  about  jQ<iO,ooo.  Its  links  were  about  2-^ 
inches  square.  It  was  buoyed  up  by  heavy  spars, 
connected  by  ironUnks,  and  also  by  large  rafts  of 
timber.  The  additional  obstructions  at  this  point, 
which  were  not  completed  till  the  fall  of  1777,  con- 
sisted of  a  boom  and  chevaux  defrise,  which  so  ob- 
structed the  current  of  the  river,  (here  very  strong,) 
that  the  water  was  raised  two  or  three  feet  above 
them  and  pressed  upon  them  heavily.  Twice  the 
chain  was  parted  by  this  pressure  : — first,  a  swivel, 
which  came  from  Ticonderoga,  was  broken  ;  and, 
the  second  time,  a  clevis,  which  was  made  at 
Poughkeepsie,  gave  way.f 

A  second  chain  was  stretched  across  the  Hud- 
son at  West  Point,  May  i,  1778,  aportion  of  which 
is  preserved  in  the  Artillery  Laboratory  at  West 
Point.  The  links  are  made  of  iron  bars,  2^  inches 
square;  average  in  length  a  little  over  two  feet,  and 
weigh  about  140  pounds  each.  The  chain  was 
stretched  across  the  river  at  the  narrowest  point, 
between  the  rocks  just  below  the  steamboat  land- 
ing and  Constitution  Island,  opposite.  It  was 
fastened  to  huge  blocks  on  each  shore,  and  buoyed 


*  Sketches  of  Local  History,  by  Benson  J.  Lossing,  in  The  Dutchess 
Farmer,  Dec.  12,  1S76;  and  the  Poughkeepsie  Weekly  Eagle,  July  8, 
1876. 

fLossing's  Pictorial  Field  Book  of  the  Revolution,  I,  732  ;  Clinton 
on  the  Hudson,  by  Anclwr,  (J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  of  Tivoli,)  in  ?■& 
New  York  Times,  Sept.  3°.  '877. 


134 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


by  large  logs,  about  i6  feet  long,  pointed  at  the 
ends,  to  lessen  their  opposition  to  the  current  at 
flood  and  ebb  tide.  Anchors,  to  which  it  was 
fastened  by  means  of  cables,  were  dropped  at 
proper  distances,  to  give  it  greater  stability. 

The  following  letter,  which  appears  in  the  Fish- 
kill  Standard  oi  1876,  shows  how  great  were  the 
hopes  based  on  this  obstruction,  which,  however, 
was  no  formidable  obstacle  to  the  progress  of  the 
British  fleet   after  the  fall   of  Forts  Chnton  and 

Montgomery:  — 

FiSHKiLL,  Sept'r  nth,  1776. 

Sir  : — It  is  conceived  highly  necessary  that  the 
Iron  Chain  should  be  immediately  dispatched.  If 
it  is  finished,  pray  send  it  down  to,  the  Fort  with- 
out delay.  If  it  is  not  finished,  let  no  time  be  lost, 
and  in  the  interim  give  us  the  earliest  particular  ac- 
count of  its  present  state,  and  when  it  will  prob- 
ably be  finished. 

"  I  am,  sir,  your  very  hum.  servt., 

"  Wm.  Yates,  Jun. 
"  To  Gilbert  Livingston,  Esq.,  Po'keepsie." 

A  few  years  since  a  three-pointed  caltrop  was 
found  in  the  locality  of  Anthony's  forge. 

In  the  fall  of  1776,  Washington's  army  was 
driven  from  New  York  by  the  forces  under  I.,ord 
Howe,  and  withdrawn  from  the  east  side  of  the 
Hudson  into  New  Jersey.  The  command  of  the 
forts  in  the  Highlands  was  devolved  on  George 
Clinton,  who  was  afterwards  elected  the  first  Gov- 
ernor of  the  State.  The  term  of  enlistment  of  the 
militia  under  his  command  had  expired,  and  ap- 
prehension was  felt  that  the  enemy  meditated  an 
attack  on  the  Highland  passes.  In  response  to 
Washington's  appeal  to  the  State  to  meet  this 
emergency  with  a  temporary  supply,  Dec.  21, 
1776,  the  Convention,  then  in  session  at  Fishkill, 
•  ordered  the  entire  militia  force  of  the  counties  of 
Westchester  and  Duchess  and  part  of  Albany,  to 
be  marched  forthwith  to  North  Castle,  in  the 
former  county,  "  well  equipped  with  arms  and  am- 
munition, and  furnished  with  six  days'  provisions, 
and  blankets,  and  a  pot  or  camp  kettle  to  every 
six  men."  Exemption  was,  however,  granted  to 
such  persons  as  the  field  oflicers  judged  could  not 
"  be  called  into  service  without  greatly  distressing 
their  families,"  or  who  were  "  actually  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  saltpetre,  or  of  shoes  and  cloth- 
ing for  the  army."  The  militia  were  to  be  allowed 
Continental  pay  and  rations,  and  such  as  could  not 
provide  themselves  with  arms  were  to  be  supplied 
from  the  public  stores. 

In   1777,  Gen.   Burgoyne  was  struggling,  first 

,with  Gen.  Schuyler,  and  subsequently  with  Gen. 

Gates,  for  the  supremacy  of  the  Upper  Hudson 


and,  in  spite  of  the  unhappy  jealousy  and  strife 
between  the  latter  generals,  which  seriously  weak- 
ened the  American  array  in  that  quarter,  was 
checked,  and  finally  overwhelmed  with  disaster  on 
the  fields  of  Saratoga.  Oct.  4,  1777,  Sir  Henry 
Clinton,  then  in  command  of  the  British  forces  in 
New  York,  started  a  force,  "variously  estimated  at 
3,000  to  3,600,  and  4,000  regulars  and  loyal  organ- 
izations," up  the  Hudson ;  but  whether  designed  to 
co-operate  with  Burgoyne,  or,  merely,  by  a  diver- 
sion in  his  favor,  to  facilitate  his  operations,  is  a 
mooted  question.  Certain  it  is  that  Burgoyne 
counted  on  his  support  and  co-operation  ;*  but 
whether  Clinton  so  intended  is  not  so  certain, 
though  Dunlap  says  this  was  his  obvious  intention. 
If  he  did,  his  failure  to  take  advantage  of  his  suc- 
cesses was  as  inexcusable  as  inexpUcable.t 

The  defense  of  the  Hudson  was  entrusted  to  the 
inefficient  Major  General  Israel  Putnam,  whom  the 
great  Massachusetts  historian  pronounced  "  unfit 
to  be  a  General  officer."  His  jurisdiction  extended 
from  King's  Bridge  to  Albany.  "  Although  having 
guard-boats  all  along  the  river  and  spies  on  the 
alert  in  every  direction,"  says  Gen.  de  Peyster, 
"the  British  Chnton  completely  outwitted  him; 
made  him  believe  that  he  was  about  to  turn  his 
position  by  the  practicable  passes  through  the 
eastern  Highlands,  then  took  advantage  of  a  fog, 
transferred  his  troops  oyer  to  the  western  side  of 
the  river,  to  Stony  Point,  made  a  wonderful  march 
across  or  rather  around  the  Dunderberg  Mountain, 
and  carried  Fort  Chnton  and  Fort  Montgomery  by 
assault,  performing  the  most  brilliant  British  oper- 
ation during  the  seven  years'  war." 

Forts  Chnton  and  Montgomery,  the  latter  com- 
manded by  Admiral  George  Clinton,  the  first 
Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  the  for- 
mer by  his  brother.  Gen.  James  CUnton,  were 
taken  on  the  6th  of  October.  *The  garrison  of 
Fort  Montgomery,  according  to  Stedman,  num- 
bered 800  men;  that  of  Fort  Clinton,  400;  though 
Gordon  and  Irving  agree  in  stating  their  united 
force  did  not  exceed  600,  mostly  militia.  Gov- 
ernor Chnton,  having,  according  to  Gen.  Sir 
Edward  Cust,  lost  100  in  killed  and  250  taken 
prisoners,  escaped  with  the  remnant  of  his  force 
from  the  two  forts  under  cover  of  night,  and 
placed  himself  in  a  position  to  watch  the  further 

* Anburey's  Travels  in  America^  /,  410,  anr/  //,  30.  WilkimtiH^s 
Memoirs^  (Vol.  I,  p.  251.)  furnishes  copies  of  letters  from  Burgoyne  to 
Clinton  showing  this  fact ;  and  the  expectation  of  aid  fror^|  Clinton  was 
one  of  the  determining  conditions  in  Burgoyne's  final  surrender. 

t  Gen.  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  of  Tivoli,  contributed  a  very  able  re- 
view of  Clinton's  expedition  to  The  New  York  Times  of  September  30, 
1877. 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR. 


I3S 


movements  of  the  enemy  and  to  aiford  succor  to 
Esopus  (Kmgston,)  then  the  State  capital.  Other 
forts  had  been  constructed  along  the  Hudson  to 
guard  special  interests,  among  them  two  at  the 
Wiccopee  Pass,  about  four  miles  south  of  Fishkrll 
village,  (whose  sites  are  yet  plainly  discernible,)  to 
guard  that  pass,  and  protect  the  military  stores  at 
Fishkill.  But  these  could  offer  no  resistance  to 
the  progress  of  the  enemy  up  the  river,  after  the 
fall  of  Forts  Clinton  and  Montgomery.  Putnam, 
whose  force  numbered,  according  to  Botta,  600 
regulars  and  an  uncertain  number  of  militia,  re- 
treated from  Peekskill,  where  he  was  encamped,  to 
the  stronger  Highlands  in  his  rear,  before  an  insig- 
nificant force  sent  by  Sir  Henry  CUnton  to  conceal 
the  advance  of  his  forces  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river.  On  the  7th  he  wrote  to  Gates,  then  in 
command  of  the  Northern  army  opposed  to  Bur- 
goyne  :  "I  cannot  prevent  the  enemy's  advancing; 
prepare  for  the  worst ;"  and  on  the  8th :  "  The 
enemy  can  take  a  fair  wind,  and  go  to  Albany  or 
Half  Moon  with  great  expedition  and  without  any 
opposition." 

Sir  Henry  Clinton  removed  the  obstructions  for 
the  defense  of  the  river  on  the  7th;  but  not  until 
the  13th  (Botta,  II,  26,)  did  he  send  up  the__river 
"  a  flying  squadron  of  small  frigates,  under  Sir 
James  Wallace,  carrying  a  detachment  of  British 
troops  under  Major  Gen.  Vaughan,"  while  he, 
himself,  after  garrisoning  Fort  Montgomery,  re- 
turned to  New  York.  He  had,  however,  on  the 
nth  sent  Sir  James  Wallace  to  reconnoiter  the 
river.  That  officer  proceeded  to  within  three 
miles  of  Poughkeepsie,  and  having  burned  Van 
Buren's  mills  and  several  buildings,  also  several  old 
vessels  along  the  shore,  returned  in  safety.*  His 
report  determined  the  expedition  under  General 
Vaughan ;  for,  says  Stedman,  the  necessity  of  a  di- 
version in  favor  of  Burgoyne  was  not  even  suspected. 

On  the  7  th  of  October,  from  New  Windsor,  Gov. 
Clinton,  after  his  narrow  escape  from  capture  at 
Fort  Montgomery,  communicated  the  loss  of  the 
Highland  forts  to  the  Legislature,  then  in  session 
at  Esopus,  and  requested  them  to  urge  forward  the 
detachment  of  Duchess  and  Ulster  county  militia 
from  the  army  under  Gen.  Gates.  Clinton  removed 
his  personal  effects  from  Little  Britain  to  Esopus^ 
and  his  brother-in-law,  Dr.  Peter  Tappen,  removed 
Mrs.  Clinton  and  the  family  to  Pleasant  Valley,  in 
Duchess  county,  where  they  remained  until  the 
marauders  under  Vaughan  returned  to  New  York. 

*Zephaniah  Piatt  to  the  Council  of  Safety,  dated  Poughkeepsie,  Oct. 
12,  1777.    Gates  Papers, 


The  Legislature  received  information  of  the  re- 
duction of  Forts  Clinton  and  Montgomery  on  the 
7th  of  October,  and  anticipating  an  advance  upon 
Esopus,  took  immediate  steps  to  do  what  lay  in 
their  power  to  promote  the  public  weal.  They 
passed  resolutions  continuing  the  county  and  dis- 
trict committees,  as  well  as  the  commissioners  for 
.  detecting  conspiracies.  They  required  the  com- 
mittee to  lade  all  the  vessels  at  the  different  land- 
ings and  other  places  along  the  river  with  flour, 
wheat,  or  other  provisions  which  was  near  the  shore, 
and  send  them  to  Albany ;  to  cause  all  cattle  and 
Hve  stock  near  either  side  of  the  river,  not  required 
for  present  use,  to  be  removed  into  the  interior,  or, 
in  case  persons  refused  to  permit  such  removal,  to 
destroy  them.  They  appointed  a  Council  of  Safe- 
ty, consisting  of  William  Floyd,  Evert  Baucker, 
Egbert  Benson,  Daniel  Dunscomb,  Robert  Harper, 
Jonathan  Landon,  Levi  Pawling,  John  Morin  Scott, 
Johannis  Snyder,  Peter  Pray  Van  Zandt,  Alexan- 
der Webster,  Wrn.  B.  Whiting  and  Abraham  Yates, 
Jr.,  any  seven  of  whom  were  vested  with  the  pow- 
ers of  government,  to  continue  as  long  as  the  ne- 
cessities of  the  State  should  require.*  As  the  dan- 
ger from  the  enemy  seemed  imminent,  the  public 
records  were  ordered  boxed,  ready  to  be  moved  at 
a  moment's  notice  to  Rochester,  (Ulster  Co.,) 
which  was  designated  as  their  repository.  Vari- 
ous other  measures  were  taken  for  the  public  weal. 

Clinton  kept  close  watch  of  the  movements  of 
Vaughan's  forces  up  the  river,  and  when  it  became 
evident  that  Kingston  was  the  objective  point,  he 
set  his  small  army  in  motion  toward  that  village, 
whither  he  preceded  them,  arriving  at  9  oclock  on 
the  night  of  the  15th  of  October.  His  army, 
fatigued  by  a  forced  march,  did  not  reach  that 
place  until  about  two  hours  after  it  had  been  de- 
stroyed by  the  British,  but  had  it  been  at  hand,  it 
was  inadequate  to  successfully  oppose  them.  Strenu- 
ous efforts  were  made  to  save  as  much  of  the  public 
and  private  property  as  possible,  but  the  British 
moved  with  such  celerity  that  much  plunder  fell 
into  their  hands  and  was  destroyed  with  the  village. 
They  gained  the  landing  on  the  i6th  and  marched 
immediately  up  to  Kingston,  driving  from  their 
hastily  constructed  earth-works  on  the  river  bank, 
at  the  point  of  the  bayonet^  about  150  miUtia, 
commanded  by  Cols.  Levi  Pawhng  and  Johannis 
Snyder.  Kingston,  which  was  then  the  third  town 
in  size  in  the  State,  was  destroyed  on  the  i6th, 
only  one  house  escaping  plunder  and  the  torch. 

t  Journal  Provincial  Convention,  I,  io6l.  This  Council  held  its  ses- 
sions first  at  Kingston,  next  at  Hurley,  and  finally  at  Poughkeepsie.  It 
continued  from  Oct.  8,  1777,  to.  Jan.  7,  1778,  its  first  session  in  Pough- 
keepsie being  held  Dec.  21,  1777. 


136 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Authors  differ  in  regard  to  this  date,  some  as- 
signing to  it  the  13th,  others,  the  15th,  others  still,  - 
the  i6th,  and  one,  {The  New  American  Encyclope- 
dia,) the  17th.  The  researches  of  Hon.  George 
W.  Pratt,  embodied  in  a  paper  read  before  the 
Ulster  County  Historical  Society  Oct.  16,  i860, 
have  thrown  light  on  this  subject  and  shown  pretty 
conclusively  that  the  i6th  is  the  correct  date.  He 
cites  the  following  letter  from  Gov.  Clinton  to  Gen. 
Putnam,  dated  "  Marbletown,  seven  miles  from 
Kingston,  17th  October,  i777-"  "Kingston  was 
burnt  yesterday  afternoon  because  I  had  not  troops 
to  defend  it;"  and  the  following  draft  of  a  letter 
from  the  Council  to  the  New  York  delegates  in  the 
Continental  Congress,  referring  to  the  movements 
of  Vaughan's  troops.  {Journal  Provincial  Conven- 
tion, I.,  1072;)  *  *  *  on  the  sixteenth,  *  *  * 
gained  the  Landing  and  *  *  *  marched  imme- 
diately up  to  Kingston  and  reduced  the  whole 
town  to  ashes."  The  New  York  Journal  and  the 
General  Advertiser  of  May  11,  1778,  then  pub- 
lished at  Poughkeepsie,  states  that  Kingston  was 
destroyed  on  the  i6th. 

The  advent  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton's  forces  up  the 
Hudson  was  anticipated  in  the  early  autumn  and 
occasioned  much  alarm  to  the  people  living  adja- 
cent to  the  river,  but  the  dilatory  moments  of  the 
British  commander  had  measurably  allayed  the 
apprehensions  thus  awakened.  They  were  revived, 
however,  when,  on  the  6th  of  October,  the  roar  of 
cannon  was  heard  at  Forts  Clinton  and  Mont, 
gomery,  and  when,  on  the  night  of  the  7th,  the 
beacon  lights  on  the  northern  summits  of  the  High- 
lands, flashed  out  the  intelligence  that  those  works 
had  succumbed  to  the  enemy. 

In  the  postscript  to  a  letter  from  Brig.  Gen. 
James  CUnton  to  his  brother,  the  Governor,  dated 
Little  Britain,  Oct.  18,  1777,  it  is  stated  that  Gen. 
Parsons  remained  at  Peekskill  with  about  2,000 
men;  that  the  militia  regiments  of  Cols.  Humphrey 
and  Brinkerhoof  were  left  at  Fishkill,  and  Col. 
Piatt,  with  about  150  men,  at  Poughkeepsie. 

The  British,  it  would  seem,  did  not  delay  their 
progress  up  the  river  to  commit  depredations  along 
its  shores  until  reaching  the  vicinity  of  Rondout 
Kill.  They  did,  nevertheless,  fire  a  few  shot  and 
shell  in  response  to  the  firing  from  the  shore,  and 
made  targets  of  the  dwellings  of  prominent  Whigs, 
which  were  pointed  out  by  a  Duchess  county  Tory, 
who  piloted  them  up  the  river.  Several  shells  were 
fired  at  a  party  who  were  standing  on  the  porch  of 
one. of  the  old  houses  above  the  Fishkill  Landing 
Machine   Works,  arjd  two   of  them    were  subse- 


quently found  in  making  excavations.  One  of 
them  went  as  far  up  as  what  is  known  as  the  Wm. 
H.  VanVoorhis  place.  Several  shots  were  fired  at 
Poughkeepsie,  where  a  vigorous  fire  was  kept  up 
by  the  "  Invincibles,"  who  occupied  the  high 
grounds  south  of  Kaal  Rock,  and  were  concealed 
from  the  enemy  by  a  heavy  growth  of  cedar.  A 
piece  of  ordnance,  of  about  three  pounds  calibre, 
was  stationed  in  the  ravine  between  that  point  and 
Kaal  Rock,  and  from  this  "battery"  fire  was 
opened  as  soon  as  the  first  vessel  of  the  enemy 
came  in  range.  "  But  a  few  shots  from  the  English 
silenced  it,  and  sent  the  artillerymen  flying  up  the 
hill  and  beyond  reach."  "  The  Invincibles  fired 
a  couple  of  volleys,  but  a  shot  or  two  from  another 
vessel  of  the  fleet  compelled  them  to  'lay  low' 
and  cease  firing.  The  enemy  then  passed  on  with- 
out further  molestation  from  our  '  forces '  until  they- 
reached  a  point  near  the  ferry  slip.  Here  the 
enemy  again  received  a  shot  or  two  from  another 
small  cannon  which  was  stationed  on  the  high 
ground  at  that  place,  but  without  sustaining  dam- 
age." Firing  was  continued  from  the  shore  until 
the  fleet  passed  out  of  range  of  the  high  grounds 
at  the  Upper  Landing.*  One  shot  from  the  enemj", 
so  we  were  told  by  the  late  Matthew  Vassar,  Jr., 
struck  in  the  spring  near  the  old  Vassar  brewery 
on  Vassar  street.  Another  shot  pierced  the  south 
side  of  the  old  Livingston  house,  near  the  left  door 
jamb,  and  the  orifice  made  through  the  shingle 
(for  the  sides,  as  well  as  the  roof  of  the  house,  are 
covered  with  shingles,)  is  still  discernible,  though 
another  shingle  has  been  inserted  under  the  one 
thus  perforated  to  cover  the  hole  made  through 
the  walLf  The  Invincibles  were  commanded  by 
Capt.  Jacobus  Frear,  some  of  whose  descendants 
are  still  living  in  Poughkeepsie. 

*  Local  Reminiscences^  in  The  Sunday  Cowr^V?- of  Poughkeepsie, 
June  IS,  1873  ;  Fishkill  in  the  Revolution,  by  J.  Hervey  Cook,  of  Fish- 
kill-on-the-Hudso'n,  in  the  Fishkill  Standard,  March  4,  1876. 

t  This  old  house  is  one  of  tlie  most  interesting  rehcs  of  Duchess 
county,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest,  if  not  the  oldest  building,  standmg  in 
it.  It  is  located  on  the  river,  between  it  and  the  Hudson  River  Rail- 
road, a  little  more  than  a  mile  below  the  landing  at  the  foot  of  Main 
street.  It  was,  says  Lossing,  (Pictorial  Field-Book  of  the  Revolution, 
Ii  384,  38s,)  "  the  residence  of  the  late  Col.  Henry  A,  Livingston,  a 
grand-son  of  Philip  Livingston,  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence,  and  son  of  the  late  John  H.  Livingston,  D.  D.,  president 
of  the  College  of  New  Brunswick.  It  was  built  by  his  paternal  grand- 
father, Henry  Livingston,  in  1714,  and  is  a  fine  specimen  of  a  country 
mansion  of  that  period."  The  situation  was  once  delightful,  completely 
imbosomed  in  venerable  willow  trees,  planted  by  the  first  owner,  beside  a 
once  beautiful  cove,  but  whose  beauty,  like  that  of  the  mansion  site,  has 
been  iparred  by  the  railroad,  which  passes  within  a  few  feet  of  the  house, 
and  the  works  of  the  Hudson  River  Iron  Manufacturing  Company,  to 
whom  the  property  now  belongs.  Col.  Livingston,  who  ied  June  9, 
1849,  will  long  be  remembered  in  Poughkeepsie  as  one  of  its  best 
citizens.  "  Although  Hving  in  the  retirement  of  a  gentleman  of  wealth 
and  leisure,  he  oflen  consented  to  serve  the  public  in  offices  requiring 
judgment,  industry  and  integrity." 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR,  THE  "DUCHESS  INVINCIBLES." 


'37 


The  "  Duchess  Invincibles  "  were  probably  the 
first  uniformed  militia  company  in  Poughkeepsie. 
The  company  was  organized  about  1775  and  num- 
bered nearly  one  hundred  men.  Their  headquarters 
were  on  what  is  now  South  Avenue,  near  Mr.  Bur- 
nap's  residence.  That  portion  of  Poughkeepsie  was 
then  known  as  "  Freartown,"  from  the  fact  that 
about  the  whole  of  it  was  owned  by  the  Frears. 
The  uniform  of  the  Invincibles  consisted  of  a  bear 
skin  cap  of  peculiar  shape,  long  frock  coat  made 
of  homespun  cloth,  trimmed  with  buff,  and 
pantaloons  of  the  same  material,  with  buff  stripe 
down  the  legs.  They  had  no  cartridge  box,  but 
carried  their  ammunition  in  a  pocket  made  of 
leather  which  was  fastened  to  the  breast  of  the 
coat.* 

Gen.  Vaughan,  having  effected  the  destruction 
of  Kingston,  rapidly  withdrew  his  forces  to  the 
fleet,  which  remained  at  anchor  on  the  night 
of  the  i6th.  On  the  17th,  (Friday,)  a  strong 
detachment  was  landed  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river  and  marched  to  Rhinebeck  Flats,  (now Rhine- 
beck,)  which,  it  is  claimed,  "was  eminently  a  Whig 
place  during  the  Revolution."  There  several 
houses  were  burned;  "not  those  of  the  poorer 
class,  nor  indiscriminately,"  says  Gen.  de  Peyster, 
"  but  of  rich  leaders  who  had  made  themselves  ob- 
noxious." One  of  these  was  the  residence  of  the 
lamented  Gen.  Montgomery  before  he  assumed  the 
command  which  terminated  in  his  death  in  an 
assault  on  Quebec,  Dec.  31,  1775-  This  detach- 
ment made  its  way  up  the  river  as  far  as  Living- 
ston's Manor,  and  destroyed  the  mansion  and  other 
houses.  Red  Hook  did  not  escape  the  avenging 
hand.  The  detachment  disembarked  at  what  was 
formerly  known  as  the  Lower  Tivoli  Dock,  and 
burned  the  residences  above  Upper  Red  Hook 
Landing,  (now  TivoU.)  Thence  they  marched  to 
their  work  of  destruction,  some  three  miles  further 
north,  along  a  path  still  constantly  used  within  a 
quarter  of  a  century.  They  also  destroyed  Liv- 
ingston's (?)  Mills,  in  Red  Hook,  of  which  not  a 
vestige  now  remains.  They  consisted  of  a  grist- 
mill, very  fine  for  the  era  in  which  it  did  its  work, 
and'  a  saw-mill  which  had  an  immense  business. 
They  were  located  at  the  mouth  of  the  Saw  Kill, 
which  empties  into  the  Hudson  just  north  of  what 
is  known  as  the  "Montgomery  Place"  which  was 
built  by  the  widow  of  the  General  from  whom  it 
derives  its  name,  after  his  death,  and  from  'whose 
piazza,  in  1818,  she  saw  "her  husband's  remains 


•  Local  RemmUcences,  in  The  Smiday  Courier,  of  Poughkeepsie, 
June  8,  1873. 


return  with  distinguished  funeral  honors  from  the 
scenes  of  his  heroic  death  and  temporary  burial," 
borne  to  their  final  resting  place  in  New  York 
City.* 

A  letter  dated  Fishkill,  Oct.  30,  1777,  and  pub- 
Ushed  in  the  Independent  Chronicle,  (Boston,)  Nov. 
6,  1777,  attributes  to  the  timely  appearance  of 
Gen.  Putnam  the  prevention  of  the  further  de- 
struction of  villages  and  property  along  the  river. 
It  says : — 

"  Last  Friday  the  fleet  returned  from  their  in- 
glorious expedition  up  the  North  River,  having 
burnt  Kingston,  in  Esopus,  and  a  few  houses  at 
Rhynebeck  and  Livingston's  Manor.  *  *  *  Our 
army,  commanded  by  Gen.  Putnam,  coming  up 
with  them,  caused  them  to  skulk  on  board 
their  vessels,  and  prevented  their  doing  further 
mischief ;  the  wind  being  light  in  their  return, 
which  gave  an  opportunity  to  our  army  of  march- 
ing as  fast  as  they  sailed  and  was  a  happy  circum- 
stance in  our  favor,  and  prevented  them  from  de- 
stroying Poughkeepsie  and  other  buildings  on  the 
river  side." 

Mr.  Lossing,  the  historian,  in  a  contribution  to 
the  Poughkeepsie  Eagle  of  recent  date,  says  that 
at  Livingston's  Manor,  Vaughan's  forces  heard  of 
the  surrender  of  Burgoyne,  "  and  fled  in  haste  to 
New  York."  Lamb's  Journal,  {^^.  i72-'3>)  says 
"  the  advanced  state  of  the  season  "  compelled  the 
return. 

Governor -Clinton  concentrated  his  little  force  at 
Hurley,  and  did  not  follow  the  enemy  lest  he  might 
be  shut  in  between  the  Catskill  Mountains  and  the 
river,  should  the  British  land  in  force. 

The  British  fleet  lay  opposite  the  northern  part 
of  the  county.  "  The  armed  vessel  highest  up  the 
river,"  says  Gen.  de  Peyster,  "lay  just  above  the 
'  Lover's  Leap  '—a  tall  bluff  covered  with  glorious 
evergreens — about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  north 
of  Tivoli  Station.  The  rest  were  strung  out  south- 
ward for  over  two  miles."  Here  it  lay  till  the  23d 
of  October,  when,  to  the  astonishment  of  the 
American  patrol  on  shore,  it  steered  down,  instead 
of  up,  the  river,  and  rejoined  the  forces  in  the 
Highlands.  This  retrograde  movement,  adds  Gen. 
de  Peyster,  seemed  to  the  Americans  "to  be  ex- 
plained three  or  four  days  after,  when  the  news  of 
Burgoyne's  surrender  reached  this  locahty."  It 
was  a  serious  disappointment  to  the  "  large  body 
of  loyalists,"  who,  says  Lamb,  "  were  forming  at 
this  time  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  river  to  join 
the  royal  army." 

October    19th,  the   Council    of    Safety,  which 
disnersed  at  the  burning  of  Kingston,  met  at  Mar- 

~  *  Gen.  J.  Watts  de  Peyster.  in  The  New  York  Times,  Sept.  30,  1877. 


138 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


bletown,  and  adopted  the  following  preamble  and 
resolutions : — 

"  Whereas,  The  late  destruction  of  the  town  of 
Kingston,  and  a  vast  number  of  dwelling  houses, 
improvements,  grain  and  fodder  on  either  side  of 
Hudson's  River,  by  a  cruel,  inhuman  and  merciless 
enemy,  has  deprived  many  persons  and  famiUes, 
the  good  subjects  of  the  State,  of  shelter  and  sub- 
sistence for  themselves  and  their  cattle — calamities 
which,  by  the  blessing  of  God  on  the  fruits  of  this 
land,  those  who  have  not  shared  in  so  uncommon 
a  misfortune  are  enabled  in  a  great  measure  to 
reUeve ; 

"  Resolved,  Therefore,  that  it  be,  and  it  is  hereby 
most  earnestly  recommended  to  the  several  and  re- 
spective general  and  district  committees  of  the 
counties  of  Ulster,  Dutchess,  Orange  and  Westches- 
ter, to  make,  or  cause  to  be  made,  a  proper  and 
proportionate  distribution  of  the  aforesaid  dis- 
tressed persons  and  families,  and  their  cattle,  to 
the  end  that  they  may  all  be  provided  for  as  the 
circumstances  of  the  country  will  permit ;  and  it  is 
hereby  most  strenuously  urged  on  all  those  who 
may  not  have  shared  with  them  in  their  afflictions 
to  receive  the  aforesaid  persons,  famihes  and  cat- 
tle, and  furnish  them  with  shelter  and  subsistence 
at  a  moderate  rate." 

While  Sir  Henry  CHnton's  victorious  army  was 
pushing  its  way  up  the  Hudson  and  ravaging  the 
settlements  upon  its  banks,  the  straitened  army 
of  Burgoyne  was  engaged  in  the  vain  endeavor  to 
extricate  itself  from  the  toils  with  which  the  victo- 
rious and  increasing  array  of  Gates  had  surrounded 
it,  and  into  which  it  had  been  lured  in  no  small 
measure  by  the  delusive  hope  of  succor  from  the 
former.  On  the  17th  of  October,  1777,  the  day 
following  the  destruction  of  Kingston,  Burgoyne 
surrendered  his  entire  army.  The  melancholy  fate 
of  this  array  has  a  local  interest,  for  its  route  from 
Cambridge,  Mass.,  to  Charlottesville,  Va.,  where, 
for  a  long  time,  it  was  kept  as  prisoners  of  war,  was 
through  this  county.  After  the  surrender  at  Sara- 
toga, it  was  marched  to  Cambridge,  whence, 
according  to  the  second  article  of  the  convention 
between  Generals  Burgoyne  and  Gates,  it  expected 
to  proceed  to  Boston  and  embark  for  Europe; 
but  Congress,  with  perhaps  questionable  justice, 
decided  otherwise. 

The  route  of  the  British  army  is  laid  down  in  a 
map  accompanying  Anburey's  Interior  Travels 
Through  America.  It  entered  this  county  and 
State  in  the  neighborhood  of  Sharon,  and 
"marched,"  says  the  historian  Lossing,  "down 
the  valley  of  the  Wee-bee-tuck  or  Wee-bu-took, 
(the  Ten  Mile  River,) "  almost  to  Dover  Plains, 
wgnt  over  Plymouth  Hill,  and  through  Mutton 
Hollow  to  Little  Rest,  thence  by  way  of  Verbank 


and  Arthursburg  to  Fishkill  Plains,  and  crossed  the 
Hudson  River  from  Fishkill  Landing  [to]  New- 
burgh."  "  In  my.  boyhood,"  he  adds,  "  I  have 
heard  old  people  speak  of  this  march  of  the  Hes- 
sians through  the  country,  and  of  the  many  women 
and  children,  wives  and  offspring  of  the  soldiers, 
who  were  forlorn-looking  camp-fbllowers."* 

It  will  be  of  interest  to  note  Anburey's  intelli- 
gent observations  in  so  far  as  they  pertain  to  this 
locality. 

"  Just  before  we  crossed  the   North   River,"  he 
says,  "we  came  to  the  town  of  Fish  Kill,  which  has 
not  more  than  fifty  houses,  [in  1777]  in  the  space 
of  near    three  miles,  but   this  place     has    been 
the     principal     depot    of    Washington's    army, 
where  there  are  magazines,  hospitals,  workshops, 
etc.,  which  form  a  town  of  themselves.     They  are 
erected   near   a  wood,  at   the  foot  of  a  mountain, 
where  there  are  a  great  number  of  huts,  which  have 
been  the  winter-quarters  of  the  American  army,  and 
to  which  they  are  shortly  expected   to  return   for 
the   ensuing  winter ;  they  are  a  miserable  shelter 
from  the   severe  weather  in   this   country,  and  I 
should    imagine,    must    render  their  troops  very 
sickly,  for   these   huts   consist   only  of  little  walls 
made  with  uneven  stones,  and  the  intervals  filled 
up  with  wood  and  straw,  a  few  planks  forming  the 
roof;  there  is  a  chimney  at  one  end,  at  the  side 
of  which  is   the   door.     Near  the   magazines  are 
some  well-constructed    barracks,   with   a  prison, 
surrounded  with  lofty  pallisadoes.     In  this  prison 
were  a  number  of  unfortunate  friends  to  Govern- 
ment, who  were  seized  in  their  plantations,  for  re- 
fusing to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  United 
States,  and  who  were  confined  till  a  sloop  was  ready 
to  take  them  to  New  York ;  for  the  Americans  are 
so  oppressive,  they  will  not  let  any  one  remain 
neuter ;  and  they  compel  every  inhabitant,  either 
to  take  the  oath,  or   quit  the  country.     When  we 
crossed  the  river,  there  were  two  large  sloops  going 
to  New  York,  crowded  with  people  of  this  descrip- 
tion, many  of  whom,  the  boatmen  informed  us,  had 
left  beautiful  houses,  with  extensive  and  well  culti- 
vated plantations."    "  The  small  part  of  New  York 
we  passed  through,"  he  says,  "seems  to  be  well  cul- 
tivated; it   affords  grain  of    all  sorts;  there  are 
abundance  of  cattle,  hogs  and  poultry." 
Further  on,  he  says  : — 

"  We  passed  through  a  Httle  town  called  Hopel, 
[Hopewell,]  before  we  crossed  the  North  River, 
which  is  chiefly  inhabited  by  the  Dutch.  At  a 
house  where  we  were  quartered,  the  people  behaved 
extremely  civil  and  attentive,  and  upon  leaving 
them,. would  scarce  permit  us  to  pay  for  what  we 
had;  from  which  circumstance  we  concluded  they 
were  friends  to  Government,  and  some  officers 
opening  their  hearts,  spoke  very  freely  about  the 
Congress,  Washington,  etc.,  observing  how  ^eat  a 
shame  it  was,  that  we  should  be  put  to  such  ex- 
pence,  and  that  Congress  ought  to  pay  for  us,  the 

*  Poughkeepsie  Weekly  Eag!e,  Jan.  ii,  1876. 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR. 


139 


man  went  out  of  the  room  in  a  moment,  and  just 
as  we  were  mounting  our  horses,  brought  us  an 
enormous  bill,  exhorbitant  in  every  article,  which 
he  insisted  upon  being  paid,  and  upon  our  urging 
that  we  had  paid  him  what  he  had  demanded,  he 
replied,  'Yes,  gentlemen,  so  you  have,  but  then  I 
thought  Congress  were  to  defray  all  your  expences, 
now  I  know  you  are  to  pay  me,  I  can't  take  a 
farthing  less  than  this  bill,  which  we  were  com- 
pelled to  discharge ;  however,  it  served  as  a  lesson 
in  future,  to  be  cautious  before  whom  we  railed 
against  Congress."* 

While  this  army  of  prisoners  was  en  route,  Wash- 
ington, uncertain  of  the  intentions  of  Lord  Howe, 
and  apprehensive  that  Sir  Henry  Clinton  would 
attempt  a  rescue  at  the  crossing  of  the  Hudson, 
or  the  passage  through  the  Jerseys,  moved  his 
army  into  the  latter  State,  and  on  their  arrival  at 
Fishkill,  detached  a  large  escort,  consisting  of  a 
brigade  for  each  brigade  of  prisoners,!  who  num- 
bered between  5,000  and  6,000. 

At  an  early  period  of  the  war,  Washington 
evinced  an  appreciation  of  the  importance  of  an 
adequate  defense  of  the  Hudson  River,  and  when 
he  withdrew  his  army  from  New  York,  the  selec- 
tion of  eligible  defensive  situations  revealed  to  him 
the  strategical  advantages  of  West  Point.  The 
campaign  of  1777  having  revealed  the  apparent 
effort  of  the  British  to  gain  control  of  the  Hudson, 
and  thus  separate  New  England  from  the  rest  of 
the  country,  led  to  the  improvement  of  the  defen- 
ses of  that  stronghold,  which  were  in  progress  in 
the  fall  of  1777.  Fishkill,  from  its  secure  posi- 
tion at  the  head  of  the  Highlands,  and  being  on  a 
direct  route  of  communication  with  the  New  Eng- 
land States,  was  the  natural  depot  of  supplies  for 
this  section,  and  at  an  early  period  was  selected 
for  that  purpose,  a  sergeant  and  fourteen  men  being 
detailed  from  each  regiment  within  the  county  to 
erect  barracks  there.  Each  man  so  detailed  was 
required  to  provide  himself  with  either  "  a  good 
sufficient  spade,  shovel,  stubbing  hoe,  felling  ax,  or 
corn  hoe,  and  every  other  necessary  for  his  ac- 
commodation." Large  quantities  of  stores  from 
the  Eastern  States  and  adjacent  country  were  there 
accumulated  for  the  use  of  the  Continental  army; 
and  there  numerous  refugees  sought  shelter  on  the 
evacuation  of  New  York  City  in  1776. 

Considerable  bodies  of  troops  were  stationed  in 
Fishkill  at  different  periods.  The  Wharton  House."| 

*Anburey's  Tranels,  II.,  i34-»43. 

t/Jirf,  136, 

XLossing's  Pictorial  Field  Book  of  the  Revolution,  I,6goi  The  same 
author  in  one  of  a  series  of  Historical  Sketches,  published  in  the 
•    Pouehkeeisie  Eagle,   reiterates  the  name.     Mr.   Brmkerhoff,   in  the 
sketch  already  noted,  calls  it  the   "Walton  House,"  a  name,  he saySj 
which  "has  already  lead  to  much  needless  mistake  The  place, 

he  adds,  "has  always  been  in  tlie  possession  of  the  VanWyck  famUy,  Irom 
the  first' settlement  of  the  country." 


named  from  Mr.  Wharton,  who  then  owned  it,  and 
made  memorable  by  Cooper's  story  of  The  Spy* 
but  now  the  residence  of  Sidney  E.  VanWyck,  was 
the  head-quarters  of  the  officers.  The  house  stands 
a  short  distance  south  of  the  village,  on  the  turn- 
pike, near  the  foot  of  the  mountains.  The  bar- 
racks extended  along  the  road,  a  half-mile  south  of 
the  village,  in  close  proximity  to  the  house.  Near 
this  residence,  "  by  the  large  black-walnut  trees," 
says  Mr.  Brinkerhoff,  before  quoted,  "  and  east  of 
the  road  near  the  base  of  the  mountain,  was  the 
soldier's  burial-ground.  *  *  *  This  almost  un- 
known and  unnoticed  burial-ground  holds  not  a 
few,  but  hundreds  of  those  who  gave  their  lives  for 
the  cause  of  American  Independence.  Some  fif- 
teen years  ago,  [about  1861,]  an  old  lady  who  was 
then  living  at  an  advanced  age,  and  who  had  lived 
near  the  village  until  after  she  had  grown  to  woman- 
hood, told  the  writer  that  after  the  battle  of  White 
Plains  she  went  with  her  father  through  the  streets 
of  Fishkill,  and  in  places  between  the  Dutch  and 
Episcopal  churches  the  dead  were  piled  up  as  high 
as  cord  wood.  These  were  buried  there.  The 
wounded  of  the  battle  who  afterwards  died,  were 
buried  there.  The  constant  stream  of  death  from 
the  hospitals  were  buried  there.  The  small-pox, 
which  broke  out  in  the  camp,  and  prevailed  very 
malignantly  added  many  more."  The  same  writer 
adds,  "  it  is  doubtful  whether  any  spot  in  the  State 
has  as  many  of  the  buried  dead  of  the  Revolution 
as  this  quiet  spot."  Some  of  the  hospitals  were 
located  in  the  barracks,  others,  in  the  more  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  the  village.  The  Episcopal  church 
was  used  for  that  puspose  when  needed ;  also  the 
Dutch  church,  though  less  often.  The  academy 
building  was  likewise  used  for  hospital  purposes  ; 
and  finally  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Fishkill  was,  for  brief  periods,  the  headquarters 

*  In  this  house  a  company  of  Tories,  who  were  lured  by  Enoch 
Crosby  into  the  power  of  the  Whigs,  were  tried  before  the 
Committee  of  Safety  in  the  fall  of  1776-  Crosby  was  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts, and  in  infancy  removed  with  his  parents  to  South  East,  in 
Duchess,  (now  Putnam, )  county,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  shoe- 
maker. When  the  Revolution  broke  out  he  was  living  at  Danbury.  He 
laid  aside  the  lap-stone  and  last  and  shouldered  a  musket.  In  1776, 
after  rendering  service  on  the  northern  frontier,  he  engaged  in  the 
"  secret  service,"  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Committee  of  Safety  of  this 
State,  and  distinguished  himself  by  his  exploits  in  luring  bands  of  Tories, 
with  whom  he  was  usually  captured,  tried  and  imprisoned,  but  managed 
to  escape  through  the  connivance  of  his  captors,  until  his  frequent 
escapes  from  durance  excited  the  suspicions  of  the  Tories  of  Westchester 
and  the  southern  portion  of  Duchess  county,  among  whom  he  had  freely 
mingled  as  a  traveling  cobbler.  He,  in  company  with  the  band 
of  Tories  above  referred  to,  was  confined  in  the  old  stone  (Dutch) 
church  at  Fishkill ;  in  which,  also,  were  confined  several  British  and 
Hessian  soldiers  captured  through  a  stratagem  of  Crosby's  at  Teller's 
Point.  This  old  stone  church  still  stands,  an  eloquent  relic  of  the  dim 
past.  Enoch  Crosby,  it  is  asserted,  was  the  original  of ' '  Harvey  Burch," 
the  hero  of  James  Fennimore  Cooper's  Spy:  a  Tale  of  Neutral 
Ground. 


I40 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


of  Gen.  Washington,  who  always,  when   in   that 
town,  stopped  at  the  residence  of  Col.  John  Brinck- 
erhofif,*  which  "  is  one  of  a  group  of  buildings  in 
and  around  Fishkill  village  made  notable  by  their 
connection  with  historic  events."     This  building, 
which,  as  a  stone  in  one  of  its  gables  testifies,  was 
erected  in  1738,  by  the  same  Col.  Brinckerhoff, 
stands  a  few  rods  from  the  line  of  the  Duchess  and 
Columbia  Railroad,  about  three  miles  north-east 
of  Fishkill  village.     It  is  an  old-fashioned   farm 
.house,  built  of  stone,  its  gables  being  formed  of 
bricks  imported  from  Holland.     It  also  accommo- 
dated  other   distinguished   guests,  among   whom 
was  La  Fayette,  who  remained  there  during  a  six 
weeks'   sickness.     It  is  now  the  property  of  Mr. 
Alfred  White.     Many  other  buildings  in  !^ishkijl 
have  connected  with  them  Revolutionary  associa- 
tions, but  for  more  minute  descriptions  of  these, 
as  well  as  the  comphcity  of  Joshua  Hett  Smith  in 
Arnold's    treason   and   his   subsequent   arrest   in 
Fishkill,  we  must  refer  the  reader  to  the  history  of 
that  town.     In  the  spring  of  1779,  Fishkill  Land- 
ing  was  the  headquarters  of  Anthony   Wayne — 
"  Mad    Anthony  "—the    hero    of    Stony    Point. 
There,  also,  were  the  headquarters  of  John  Fisher, 
Quartermaster-General  of  the  Continental  Army. 
Pawling,  too,  is  made  memorable  by  its  Revolu- 
tionary associations.     Within  its  borders,  on  the 
slopes  of  "  Purgatory  Hill,"  a  portion  of  the  Con- 
tinental army  was  cantoned   in  the  fall  of  r778. 
They  occupied  log  huts,  the  remnants  of  the  chim- 
neys of  which   might   be   seen   a  few  years  ago. 
Washington,  whose  headquarters  were  at  or  near 
Fredericksburg,  (now  Patterson,)  a  few  miles  be- 
low Pawling  station,  spent  several  weeks  with  these 
troops— from  late  in  September   till  the  close  of 
November,  excepting  some  ten  days  spent  at  Fish- 
kill.    Well  authenticated  tradition  says  that  he 
sometimes    occupied   the   Ferris   house,    a   first- 
class  farm  house,  situated  about  two  miles  from 
the  Harlem  Railroad  station  at  Pawling,  a  little 
distance  from  the  more  southerly  road  leading  to 
Quaker  Hill,  and  built  in  1771,  by  Reed  Ferris,  one 
of  a  number  of  families  of  Friends  who  immigrated 
to  that  town  from  Rhode  Island.     This  house  is 
further  made  notable  by  the  trial  there,  in  the  fall  of 
1778,  of  Gen.  Philip  Schuyler,  (the  victim  of  Gen. 
Gates'  intrigues,)  by  court-martial,  on  the  general 
charge  of  neglect  of  duty  while  in  command  of  the 


*Mr.  T.  VanWyck  BrinkerhofF  says  Washington  quartered  at  the 
"  Wharton,"  or  "Walton  House."  Its  builder,  Col.  John  Brinckerhoff 
•was  the  maternal  grandfather  of  the  late  Col.  John  B  VanWyck  of 
Poughkeepsie,  who  occupied  the  mansion  till  his  removal  to  Pouirh- 
keepsie,  m  1817,  *" 


Northern  Department  in  1777,  especially  for  his 
absence  at  the  capture  of  Ticonderoga  July  6th, 
of  that  year.  General  Lincoln,  whose  headquarters 
were  at  the  Ferris  house,  was  President  of  the  court. 
Gen.  Schuyler  was  honorably  acquitted,  and  pend- 
ing the  action  of  Congress  on  the  verdict  of  the 
court,  he  was  appointed  to  that  body  by  the  Leg- 
islature of  New  York,  then  in  session  at  the  court- 
house in  Poughkeepsie.  Some  changes  have  been 
made  in  the  Ferris  house,  but  it  remains  substan- 
tially the  same  as  when  Washington  occupied  and 
Schuyler  was  tried  in  it. 

While  the  army  lay  encamped  on  "  Purgatory 
Hill,"  this  region  was  infested  by  a  band  of  Tory 
robbers,  known  as  "  Cowboys,"  who  plundered  the 
Whigs  and  were  not  over-scrupulous  in  appropriat- 
ing the  property  of  moderate  Tories.     The  suffer- 
ing Whigs,  prominent  among  whom  were  Messrs. 
Sherman  and  Akin,  of  Quaker  Hill,  unwilling  longer 
to  endure  the  injuries  to  person  and  property  in- 
flicted  by  this   band,  determined  to  exterminate 
them,  and  securing  the  services  of  Col.  Pearce,  of  the 
Duchess  county  militia,  and  a  file  of  men,  accom- 
panied them  to  the  house  of  one  named  Peaseley, 
(a  leader  of  the  band,)  which  was  situated  on  a 
high  hill  about  a  mile  east-south-east  of  the  Ferris 
house,  and  was  the  chief  place  of  rendezvous.    The 
heavy  growth  of  woods  which  almost  surrounded 
the  house  enabled  them  to  approach  closely  with- 
out being  observed.     One  Vaughan,  a  chief  leader 
of  the  band,  and  two  of  his  companions  were  sitting 
near  a  rock,  with  their  guns  by  their  sides,  playing 
cards.     One  division  of  Pearce's  men  fired  on  them, 
mortally  wounding  Vaughan,  and  lopping  a  finger 
from  the   hand  of  another.     This   broke   up  the 
band  and  gave  peace  to   the  neighborhood.     In 
one  corner  of  a  secluded  burying  ground  on  Quaker 
Hill,   two  rude   stones  yet   mark   the  grave    of 
Vaughan.* 

On  the  first  of  August,  1776,  as  previously 
stated,  the  Convention  of  Representatives  of  the 
State  of  New  York  appointed  a  committee  to  de- 
vise a  form  of  government  for  the  State  ;  but  this 
committee  did  not  report  till  March  12,  1777. 
The  draft  of  the  constitution,  which  was  drawn  by 
John  Jay,  was  amply  discussed  and  underwent 
some  amendments  and  additions,  but  was  adopted 
on  the  20th  of  April,  1777,  with  but  one  dissenting 
voice,  in  almost  the  same  form  as  prepared  by  Mr. 
Jay.  The  same  night  one  of  the  secretaries  was 
directed  to  proceed  to  Fishkill  and  have  printed 

*Hktorical  Sketches,  Nos.  S6  and  6l,  by  Benson  J.  Lossinft  LL.  D., 
in  the  Poughkeepsie  Eagle. 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR,  GEORGE  CLINTON  ELECTED  GOVERNOR. 


141 


500  copies  of  the  Constitution  with,  and  2,500 
without,  the  preamble,  and  was  instructed  to  give 
gratuities  to  the  workmen  to  expedite  the  work. 

This  constitution  was  printed  by  Samuel  Lou- 
don, a  Whig  printer  of  New  York,  who  fled  from 
that  city  on  its  evacuation  by  Washington's  army 
and  set  up  his  press  in  Fishkill.  It  "was  \hz  first, 
as  well  as  the  most  important  book  ever  printed  in 
the  State  "  ;*  and  the  New  York  Packet,  whichjie 
established  in  December,  1776,  and  pubHshed  there 
during  the  war,  was  the  first  newspaper  pubhshed 
in  Duchess  county.f 

The  document  was  promulgated  the  following 
Thursday  in  front  of  the  court  house  at  Kingston, 
by  Robert  Berrian,  one  of  the  secretaries,  who  read 
it  to  the  assembled  multitude  from  the  end  of  a 
hogshead.  The  Convention,  having  provisionally 
appointed  officers  to  carry  on  the  government  until 
an  election  could  be  held,  adjourned  sine  die,  May 
13,  1777-  "Thus,"  says  Hon.  Chauncey  M.  De- 
pew,  "  passed  into  history  this  remarkable  Conven- 
tion. In  lofty  patriotism,  steadfastness  of  pur- 
pose, practical  wisdom,  and  liberal  statesmanship, 
it  had  few,  if  any,  equals,  even  among  the  legisla- 
tive bodies  of  extraordinary  merit  which  marked 
the  era."  George  CUnton  was  duly  elected  Gov- 
ernor. The  returns  were  made  to  the  Council  of 
Safety,  July  9,  1777,  and  on  the  30th  of  that  month 
he  took  the  oath  of  office  at  Kingston. 

Governor  Clinton,  who  was  then  in  the  field  in 
command  of  the  State  militia,  discharged  the  du- 
ties of  his  office  by  correspondence  with  the  Coun- 
cil of  Safety,  which  remained  the  governing  power 
until  the  Legislature  met.  August  i,  1777,  was 
designated  as  the  time  of  meeting  of  the  latter 
body,  but  for  obvious  reasons.  Gov.  Clinton  twice 
deferred  it.  The  Senate  had  no  quorum  till  Sep- 
tember gth,  1777  ;  and  the  Assembly,  though  in 
session  on  the  first  of  that  month,  did  not  organize 
until  the  loth.  The  Legislature  remained  in  ses- 
sion at  Kingston  till  Oct.  7th,  when,  having  made 
provision  for  the  pubhc  welfare,  and  appointed  a 
new  Council  of  Safety,  it  dispersed  on  the  approach 
of  Sir  Henry  Clinton's  forces  up  the  Hudson. 

On  the  burning  of  Kingston,  the  State  govern- 
ment was  removed  to  Poughkeepsie,  and  there  the 
Assembly  next  met,  Jan.  5,  1778,  and  the  Senate 
on  the  15th  of  that  month. 

In  Poughkeepsie  the  Legislature  met  first  in  the 
old  VanKleeck  House,  which  was  then  a  tavern, 
and   subsequently  in  the  court  house,    and  there 

*  Lossing's  Pictorial  Field- Book  0/  the  Revolution,  /,  695. 
1  Sketches    of    Local    History,   by  Eenson     J.     Lossing,  in    The 
Dutchess  Farmer,  Dec.  12,  1876. 


continued  its  sessions,  at  intervals,  until  March  17, 
1779-  After  that  it  met  at  irregular  intervals  at 
Kingston,  Albany,  Poughkeepsie  and  New  York, 
till  the  final  removal  of  the  State  capitol  to 
Albany  in  1797.  Its  subsequent  sessions  at 
Poughkeepsie  were: — September  7  to  October  10, 
1780;  June  15  to  July  i,  and  October  10  to  No- 
vember 3,  1781 ;  February  23  to  April  14,  and 
July  8  to  25,  1782;  January  11  to  March  22, 
1788;  December  11,  1788,  to  March  3,  1789; 
and  January  6  to  14,  1795. 

On  the  removal  of  the  State  capitol  to  Pough- 
keepsie in  1778,  Governor  Clinton  took  up  his 
residence  there,  in  the  old  stone  house  now  known 
as  the  Washington  Hotel,  on  the  corner  of  Main 
and  White  streets,  on  the  north  side  of  the  former 
street.  It  was  then  the  fine  mansion  of  Clear 
Everett,  (who  was  Sheriff  of  the  county  from  1754 
to  1 76 1,)  by  whom  it  was  built. 

In  1 78 1,  efforts  were  made  by  the  British  in 
New  York  City  to  make  prisoners  of  notable  men 
in  the  State,  in  order  to  secure  the  release  by 
exchange  of  distinguished  British  captives.  An 
attempt  to  seize  Gen.  Schuyler  in  August,  1781, 
was  almost  successful.  A  similar  attempt  to  seize 
Governor  Clinton  at  Poughkeepsie  was  made 
about  the  same  time.  The  Governor,  writing  to 
Gen.  Schuyler  from  the  stone  mansion  of  Clear 
Everett,  said: — 

"  I  sincerely  congratulate  you  on  your  fortunate 
escape  from  the  villainous  attempts  of  Meyer  and 
his  party.  *  *  *  xhe  evening  before  I  re- 
ceived your  letter,  I  received  an  account  by  express 
from  his  Excellency,  General  Washington,  (then  at 
Dobb's  Ferry,  on  the  Hudson,)  of  a  party  out 
from  New  York,  to  seize  and  dehver  me  there,  for 
which  they  are  promised  a  considerable  reward.  I 
have  persons  out  to  watch  their  motions,  and  am 
not  without  hope  of  soon  having  some  of  them  at 
least,  in  my  power.  This  is  the  third  party  which 
has  been  sent  out  on  this  business,  and  of  which  I 
have  been  apprised,  in  the  course  of  the  spring 
and  summer,  and  some  of  them  have  met  their  fate 
at  this  place,  though  for  different  crimes."* 

During  its  first  session  in  Poughkeepsie,  in  the 
old  VanKleeck  House,  in  1778,  the  Legislature 
ratified  the  Articles  of  Confederation,  and  on  the 
9th  of  July  of  that  year  New  York's  delegates  in 

*  Among  these  was  Huddlestone,  a  notorious  British  spy,  who  was 
hung  on  what  was  afterwards  known  as  "  Forbus's  Hill,*'  in  rear  of  the 
Nelson  House,  and  in  the  square  formed  by  Market,  Jefferson,  Union 
and  Church  streets.  This  hill  was,  at  an  early  day,  a  beautiful  elevated 
plateau,  but  h^s  been  leveled  somewhat  and  its  peculiar  characteristics 
destroyed.  There  too,  a  hundred  years  ago,  a  negro  slave  belonging  to 
Jacob  VanBenschoten,  of  Poughkeepsie,  was  burned  at  the  stake,  for 
the  crime  of  burning  his  master's  bam  and  \i\ct^zk.~Sheiches  of  Local 
History,  by  Benson  J.  Lossing,  in  The  Dutchess  Farmer,  December 
12,  1876. 


142 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Congress  signed  the  articles.  But  New  York's 
ratification  was  conditioned  on  a  like  ratification 
by  all  the  other  States.  The  delegates  from  Con- 
necticut, Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire,  Penn- 
sylvania, Rhode  Island,  South  Carolina  and 
Virginia,  signed  them  the  same  day ;  but  the  last 
of  the  States  to  do  so,— Maryland, — did  not  sign 
until  March  i,  1781. 

The  news  of  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  at 
Yorktown,  Oct.  19,  1 781,  which  virtually  terminated 
the  struggle  for  American  independence,  (for  peace 
was  concluded  the  following  year,)  was  received 
with  delight  by  the  patriotic  citizens  of  Duchess 
county  on  the  29th  of  October.  The  Legislature 
was  then  in  session  at  Poughkeepsie,  and  both 
houses,  with  the  Governor,  proceeded  to  the  Re- 
formed Dutch  church,  and  there  offered  thanks- 
giving to  God  for  the  great  deliverance.  The 
Rev.  John  H.  Livingston,  (father  of  the  late  Col. 
Henry  A.  Livingston,  of  Poughkeepsie,  and  after- 
wards President  of  Rutger's  College,)  who  was  a 
native  of  Poughkeepsie,  and  was  then  pastor  of 
that  church,  officiated  on  that  occasion.  From 
the  church  the  members  of  the  Legislature  went 
to  the  residence  of  Governor  Clinton  to  tender 
their  congratulations.  Cannon  were  fired,  bonfires 
were  lighted  in  Main  (now  Market,)  street,  and 
the  houses  of  Whig  citizens  were  illuminated  in 
the  evening. 

At  that  time  there  were  only  two  stores  in 
Poughkeepsie,  one  kept  by  Beekman  Livingston, 
on  the  site  of  the  present  Park  House,  on  the 
corner  of  Market  and  Cannon  streets,  and  the 
other  by  Archibald  Stewart,  "adjoining  the  Dutch 
church."  On  the  occasion  alluded  to,  Livingston's 
store  was  illuminated ;  that  of  Stewart,  who  was  a 
Scotchman  and  a  loyalist,  was  "  darkened,"  so  to 
speak,  by  the  light  of  a  single  tallow  candle. 

At  Fishkill,  the  victory  was  celebrated  with 
demonstrations  of  great  joy.  "  A  roasted  ox  and 
plenty  of  liquor  formed  the  repast,"  and  a  number 
of  toasts  were  drank.  French  and  American 
colors,  indicative  of  the  alliance,  were  displayed, 
and  cannon,  bonfires,  illuminations  and  fire  works 
marked  the  general  joy.  An  immense  bonfire  was 
displayed  on  the  summit  of  Beacon  Hill,  in  the 
Highlands,  that  shed  its  light  far  over  the  country, 
and  attracted  the  attention  of  the  citizens  of  New- 
burgh,  who  on  that  day  had  hung  Benedict  Arnold 
in  eflSgy.* 
^  "When  the  war  of  1812  broke  out,  recruiting 

*  Sketches  0/ Local  I/M^j,,  by  Benson  J.  Lossing,  in  The  Dutchess 
Farmer  of  Dec.  iz,  1876. 


offices  were  opened  in  this  county,  and  many  men 
were  sent  off  to  the  scene  of  action.  As  a  matter 
of  course,  deep  interest  was  felt  in  every  scrap  of 
news,  and  when  finally  the  intelligence  was  re- 
ceived that  peace  had  been  declared,  it  was  re- 
ceived with  the  greatest  rejoicings.  The  news 
reached  here,  [Poughkeepsie,]  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing, and  was  announced  in  the  churches,  the  day 
bejng  made  a  general  thanksgiving.  The  next 
night  many  of  the  villages  were  illuminated,  and 
the  event  was  further  celebrated  by  great  proces- 
sions of  sleigh  riders,  (it  was  in  February,  1815,) 
who  went  dashing  through  the  streets,  their  jingling 
bells  and  merry  shouts  testifying  to  the  general 
joy."* 


CHAPTER  XV. 


War  of  the  Rebellion — Secession  of  South 
Carolina — Formation  of  the  Confederate 

Government — Surrender  of  Fort  Sumter 

Early   Measures   to   Suppress  Rebellion 

The  Ready  Response  of  the  North— Prompt 
AND  Generous  Response  of  Duchess  County. 
— Additional  Troops  Called  For — Some  of 
the  Organizations  with  which  the  Early 
Volunteers  United — Call  of  July  2d,  1862 
—Military  Districts  Formed— Regimental 
Camp  at  Tivoli — Changed  to  Hudson  — 
National  and  State  Bounties— A  District 
Regiment  Authorized— Town  Quotas  Under 
the  Call  of  July  2d— Call  of  August  4th, 

1862 — Efforts  to  Promote  Enlistments 

The  128TH  Regiment— Its  Organization  and 
Services. 

THE  war  of  the  rebellion  covers  a  period  in 
the  history  of  Duchess  county  to  which  the 
descendants  of  those  who  participated  in  it  may 
recur  with  just  pride. 

December  17,  i860,  the  people  of  South  Caro- 
lina met  in  Convention  at  Columbia,  and  adjourned 
thence  by  reason  of  the  prevalence  of  small-pox  to 
Charleston,  where  they  repealed  the  act  of  May 
23,  1788,  ratifying  the  federal  constitution  and  the 
amendments  thereto,  and  declared  "  that  the  union 
now  subsisting  between  South  Carolina  and  other 
States,  under  the  name  of  the  United  States  of 
America,  is  hereby  dissolved."  An  address  to  the 
people  of  the  other  slave-holding  States  was  issued, 
inviting  them  to  join  in  "  a  slave-holding  Confed- 
eracy," and  reciting  that  "we  must  be  the  most  in- 

*  Poughkeepsie  Weekly  Eagle.,  July  8,  1876. 


THE  WAR  OF  THE  REBELLION,  FIRST  VOLUNTEERS. 


143 


dependent,  as  we  are  the  most  important  of  the 
nations  of  the  world."  This  action  was  followed 
in  a  few  days  by  Georgia,  Florida,  Texas,  Missis- 
sippi, Alabama  and  Louisiana.  "  The  Border 
States  foreseeing  inevitable  war,  and  that  the  shock 
of  the  conflict  would  fall  upon  them,  temporized. 
After  all  had  been  done  to  pledge  them  to  the 
movement,  Virginia,  North  Carolina,  Missouri, 
Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Maryland,  though  a  reign  of 
terror  political  and  social,  was  inaugurated  in  them, 
either  took  the  step  with  great  reluctance,  or 
avoided  taking  it  at  all."*  Prominent  among  these, 
and  indeed  among  the  States  composing  the  Con- 
federacy, was  Virginia,  which  did  not  pass  the 
ordinance  of  secession  until  April  17,  1861,  and 
then  only  after  exacting  the  foremost  rank  in  the 
Confederacy  and  protection  for  her  slave  interests. 
Even  then  she  did  not  carry  the  whole  State  with 
her ;  for  the  western  portion  maintained  its  de- 
termination to  adhere  to  the  Union,  and  was  af- 
terwards recognized  as  a  separate  State.  Arkan- 
sas, North  Carolina  and  Tennessee  also  passed 
ordinances  of  secession. 

February  4,  1861,  the  delegates  of  six  of  the 
seceding  States,  (South  Carolina,  Georgia,  Ala- 
bama, Mississippi,  Louisiana  and  Florida,)  met 
in  convention  at  Montgomery,  Alabama,  and 
formed  a  provisional  government  denominated 
"The  Confederate  States  of  America,"  founded, 
as  affirmed  in  the  inaugural  address  of  its  presi- 
dent, on  the  principle  of  the  inequaUty  of  men, 
and  with  human  slavery  as  its  corner-stone.  Jef- 
ferson Davis  was  elected  President  and  Alexander 
H.  Stephens,  Vice-President.  They  were  soon  af- 
ter elected  permanently  for  six  years.  The  per- 
manent constitution  was  modeled  substantially  from 
that  of  the  United  States.  The  following  summer 
the  seat  of  government  was  removed  to  Richmond, 
and  their  Congress  opened  its  first  session  in  that 
city,  July  20,  1861,  the  day  previous  to  the  battle 
of  Bull  Run. 

On  the  15th  of  April,  1861,  two  days  after  the 
fall  of  Sumter,  President  Lincoln  called  on  the 
several  States  for  75,000  men  to  suppress  the  up- 
rising, which  was  then  regarded,  even  by  those  in 
the  best  position  to  judge,  as  little  more  than  an 
evanescent  emeute.  The  proclamation  also  called 
an  extra  session  of  Congress  to  be  convened  on 
the  4th  of  July. 

New  York,  instead  of  filling  the  requisition  on 
her  for  seventeen  regiments — between  13,000  and 
14,000  men — for  three  months,  for  which  period 

*  Draper's  History  of  the  American  Civil  War,  I.,  S'7i 


the  75,000  were  called,  raised  30,000  men  for  two 
years  and  added  a  war  loan  of  $3,000,000.  Many 
other  States  acted  in  like  manner.  Rhode  Island 
not  only  instantly  sent  her  quota  and  added  a 
loan,  but  her  Governor,  Sprague,  went  at  the  head 
of  her  troops.  Within  fifteen  days  350,000  men 
had  offered  their  services. 

If  we  direct  our  inquiry  to  the  action  of  the  cit- 
izens of  Dachess  county  during  this  eventful  period, 
we  find  a  no  less  gratifying  exhibition  of  pat- 
riotism. On  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter,  Matthew 
Vassar,  Jr.,  of  Poughkeepsie,  anticipating  the  need 
of  the  government,  tendered  to  it  his  schooner,  the 
Matthew  Vassar,  Jr.,  "  one  of  the  fastest  sailing 
vessels  afloat."  Her  mate,  the  Matther  Vassar, 
was  loaned  to  the  goverment  by  Mr.  Vassar  for 
service  during  the  Mexican  war.  With  the  same 
wise  forethought  Messrs.  W.  W.  &  J.  Reynolds,  also 
of  Poughkeepsie,  tendered  to  the  government  their 
substantial  and  well-arranged  steamer  Reliance. 

Local  military  organizations  evinced  early  activ- 
ity. On  the  1 6th  of  April  meetings  of  the  officers 
of  the  2 1  St  Regiment  and  the  American  Citizens 
Corps  were  held,  to  put  those  organizations  on  a 
war  footing  and  prepare  them  for  any  emergency. 
The  use  of  the  city  hall  had  been  tendered  the 
former  for  drill  purposes  by  the  Common  Council 
of  Poughkeepsie,  on  the  15th.  Measures  looking 
to  the  formation  of  independent  companies  were 
instituted  in  the  city  and  the  principal  villages  in 
the  county.  The  Poughkeepsie  Eagle,  of  April  1 7, 
1 86 1,  says  :  "We  have  ascertained  that  there  are 
one  hundred  volunteers  ready  to  answer  to  the 
Governor's  call " ;  and  adds :  "  Political  feeUngs 
are  fast  disappearmg  in  this  city.  *  *  *  The  old 
poHtical  names  are  fast  being  forgotten."  Such 
was  the  spirit  that  animated  the  people  throughout 
the  county  ;  and  within  a  few  days  from  the  issu- 
ance of  the  Governor's  call  on  the  i8th  of  April, 
companies  were  raised  and  organized  in  many  of 
the  towns  of  the  county,  and  united  with  various 
regimental  organizations.  In  some  instances,  and 
this  is  especially  true  of  the  city  of  Poughkeepsie, 
civic  societies  became  the  nuclei  of  companies  or 
parts  of  companies.  Spirited  public  meetings, 
numerously  attended  and  ably  addressed,  were  held 
in  various  parts  of  the  county,  and  awakened  a 
great  degree  of  enthusiasm.  These  early  measures, 
being  concerted  by  the  several  towns,  will  be  more 
particularly  noticed  in  connection  with  the  history 
of  the  respective  towns. 

The  South,  by  years  of  anticipation  and  covert 
preparation,  were  in  a  better  state  of  readiness  than 


144 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


the  North,  and  were  thus  able  to  precipitate  events 
with  astounding  rapidity.  The  conviction  of  the 
extent  of  that  preparation,  the  magnitude  of  the 
struggle,  and  the  means  necessary  to  oppose  it, 
forced  itself  only  gradually  on  the  minds  of  the 
authorities  at  Washington,  who  repressed  rather 
than  stimulated  a  popular  uprising. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  the  time  of  the 
75,000  three  months'  men  would  expire  before  they 
could  be  fully  armed  and  equipped.  On  the  3d  of 
May,  1861,  a  call  was  issued  for  42,034  volunteers 
for  three  years,  and  provision  made  to  increase  the 
regular  army  by  22,714  men,  and  the  navy  by 
18,000  men,  for  five  years.  On  the  ist  of  July 
two  hundred  and  eighty  regiments  had  been  ac- 
cepted. Congress  met  July  4th,  and  July  22, 1861, 
voted  $500,000,000  and  400,000  more  men,  of 
which  New  York's  quota  was  25,000  men,  who 
were  called  for  on  the  2Sth  of  July,  four  days  after 
the  disastrous  battle  of  Bull  Run,  which  was  fought 
on  Sunday,  July  21,  1861,  mostly  with  three  months' 
men  whose  time  was  then  expiring.  July  29th  the 
addition  of  25,000  men  to  the  regular  army  was 
authorized. 

The  troops  raised  under  the  call  of  July  25th 
were,  like  those  raised  under  the  first  call,  required 
to  rendezvous  at  New  York,  Albany  and  Elmira, 
and  provision  was  made  for  the  examination  of  ap- 
plicants for  commissions.  This,  though  it  gave  to 
the  service  a  greatly  improved  class  of  officers,  re- 
tarded enlistments.  To  obviate  this,  and  at  the 
same  time  obtain  the  best  class  of  troops.  Gover- 
nor Morgan  authorized  branch  depots  in  twenty- 
two  different  localities,  so  separated  that  they 
would  be  unlikely  to  interfere  with  each  other. 
Major  VonBeck,  of  Rondout,  was  appointed  gen- 
eral recruiting  officer  for  Columbia  and  Duchess 
counties.  "  The  objects,"  says  Governor  Morgan, 
in  his  annual  message  of  Jan.  7,  1862,  "were  more 
than  accomplished.  Not  only  did  the  change  se- 
cure a  class  of  troops  which  for  respectability  and 
intelligence  can  nowhere  be  surpassed,  ,but  it 
hastened  enlistments." 

Duchess  County's  contributions  to  the  quotas 
under  these  early  calls  were  both  prompt  and  gen- 
erous. Public  meetings  were  held  in  various  parts 
of  the  county  and  eloquently  addressed  by  able 
speakers.  Each  village  and  hamlet  became  the 
center  of  an  organized  effort  in  this  interest.  Flags 
were  flung  to  the  breeze  in  all  directions,  and  these 
events  were  made  the  occasion  of  large  gatherings 
of  enthusiastic  people,  whose  patriotism  was  ap- 
pealed to  by  earnest  speakers.  Such  a  meeting  was 


held  at  Beekmanville  on  Saturday,  May  ir,  1861, 
and  addressed  by  Dist.  Atty.,  AUard  Anthony, 
of  Poughkeepsie,  Benson  J.  Lossing,  of  Pough- 
keepsie.  Rev.  Mr.  Holman,  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
Church  at  Beekmanville,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  King, 
pastor  of  the  Methodist  Church  at  Yonkers.  The 
speech  of  Mr.  Lossing,  who  is  a  native  of  Beek- 
manville, was  forcible  and  eloquent  and  breathed 
the  sentiment  of  the  great  loyal  heart  of  the  nation. 
It  was  prophetic  of  the  ultimate  triumph  of  the 
Union  arms,  and  vividly  mirrors  the  state  of  the 
pubhc  mind  in  the  early  days  of  the  rebellion.  He 
said,  referring  to  the  rebels : — 

"Shall  they  succeed  in  their  stupendous  scheme 
of  villainy?  No — a  thousand  times  no!  The 
voices  of  nineteen  milUons  of  patriotic  and  indig- 
nant people  have  already  answered  that  question 
most  emphatically  within  the  last  twenty  days. 
Never  in  the  history  of  the  worid  has  there  been 
such  an  uprising  of  the  people  in  defense  of  the 
dearest  interests  of  man.  For  weeks  gloom  and 
despondency  overshadowed  the  land.  Good  and 
true  men  began  to  ask  themselves,  have  we  got  a 
government?  Has  patriotism  died  out?  Have 
the  fathers  been  forgotten,  and  are  their  practices 
and  precepts  unremembered  ?  Is  this  great  Re- 
pubHc  that  cost  so  much  blood  and  treasure  about 
to  be  dissolved,  and  the  Star  in  the  West  that  has 
long  beamed  in  splendor  as  a  harbinger  of  hope 
and  redemption  for  the  struggling  nations  about  to 
go  down  in  darkness  forever  ? 

"Dark  were  the  clouds  all  over  the  political 
horizon.  Men  appeared  to  be  slumbering  every- 
where. It  seemed  as  if  some  deadly  malaria  had 
come  creepmg  up  from  the  dark  swamps  of  the  Gulf 
States,  poisonmg  the  blood,  deadening  the  nerves 
and  paralyzmg  the  moral  perceptions  of  the  best 
and  wisest.  The  atmosphere  became,  as  it  were 
thick  and  suffocating.  All  felt  as  if  some  dreadful 
calamity  was  pending;  They  looked  to  the  earth 
all  was  gloom.  They  looked  to  the  firmament,  all 
was  blackness. 

"Suddenly  a  thunder  peal  rolled  over  the  land. 
It  was  the  boom  of  the  gun  that  hurled  a  rebel 
shot  at  Fort  Sumter.  It  fell  upon  the  dull  ear  of 
the  North  like  the  trump  of  the  Archangel.  In- 
stantly the  dead  were  raised.  The  millions  of  the 
loyal  States,  as  one  man,  sprang  to  their  feet  and 
seized  the  weapons  of  war.  Every  heart  was  filled 
with  courage  and  devotion.  The  life  blood  coursed 
swiftly  through  their  veins.  From  every  hill  and 
valley  a  shout  went  up  louder  than  ten  thousand 
hunders.  'The  Union  and  the  Government  shaU 
be  Preserved.  '* 

As  indicative  of  the  spirit  which  per\raded  the 
rural  districts  of  the  county,  we  may  cite  a  few  of 
the  incidents  which  transpired  at  this  period..  May 

»  PmghkeeMia  Daily  Eagle,  May  14,  1S61.  We  are  indebted  to  the 
files  of  this  paper  for  much  of  the  materia]  gleaned  relative  to  the  part 
taken  by  Duchess  county  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion. 


THE  WAR  OF  THE  REBELLION,  EARLY  LOCAL  INCIDENTS. 


1 45 


17,  1861,  a  large  and  splendid  flag  was  raised  on 
the  Episcopal  church  at  Wappingers  Falls.  Ap- 
propriate addresses  were  made  by  Revs.  Messrs. 
Andrews  and  Reese,  and  the  "Star  Spangled 
Banner "  was  sung  by  the  choir.  The  Wappin- 
gers Falls  Artillery,  then  just  organized  by  Capt. 
Faulkner,  was  out  in  full  uniform  and  fired  a 
national  salute.  On  the  i8th  a  large  and  enthusi- 
astic meeting  of  Union  men  was  held  at  LaGrange- 
ville,  and  eloquent  addresses  were  made  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Cutting,  of  Poughkeepsie,  Mr.  Robinson,  of 
Ithaca,  Mr.  Anthony,  of  Poughkeepsie,  and  Jere- 
miah Eighmie,  of  Fishkill.  A  flag  was  raised  on  a 
pole  of  over  one  hundred  feet  natural  length. 
The  same  day  a  gathering  of  over  a  thousand 
people  assembled  in  the  spacious  yard  fronting  the 
Presbyterian  church  at  Hughsonville,  to  witness 
the  raising  of  the  American  flag  on  that  edifice. 
Stirring  and  patriotic  speeches  were  made  by  Rev. 
Vanness  Traver,  Col.  James  VanAlen,  and  Rev. 
James  B.  Dunn.  The  exercises  were  enlivened 
by  booming  cannon  and  music  by  the  Fishkill 
band  and  the  church  choir.  Capt.  Faulkner  and 
his  zouaves  from  Wappingers  Falls  were  there  with 
a  gaily  decorated  carriage,  festooned  and  garlanded 
with  flowers  in  the  form  of  an  arbor,  in  which  sat 
two  young  girls,  dressed  in  white  and  decked  with 
wreaths  of  flowers.  Previous  to  the  meeting  a 
very  large  number  of  ladies  met  in  the  church  and 
formed  a  Dorcas  Army  Relief  Society  with  the 
following  oflScers: — ist  Directress,  Mrs.  Z.  V. 
Hasbrook ;  2d  Directress,  Miss  Mesier ;  3d  Direct- 
ress, Mrs.  McKinley ;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  John 
Smith ;  Secretary,  Mrs.  Harriet  Delavergne.  The 
presidents  were  Mrs.  Henry  Norris  and  Miss  Lydia 
R.  Hasbrook.  Mrs.  Joseph  Vail  was  President, 
and  Miss  Eliza  Jane  Conover,  Secretary,  of  the 
working  committee.  On  the  20th  a  flag  was 
raised  in  school  district  No.  9,  in  the  towns  of 
Stanford  and  Washington,  by  the  teachers  and 
scholars  of  that  district,  and  a  patriotic  address 
was  made  by  Dr.  S.  G.  Cook.  On  the  20th,  also, 
a  flag  was  raised  on  the  county  house  by  John  C. 
Hitchcock,  the  Superintendent,  and  addresses 
were  made  by  William  WiUiamson  and  A.  S. 
Pease.  The  Poughkeepsie  Eagle  of  May  21, 186 1, 
says: — "We  learn  that  the  citizens  of  Hyde  Park 
have  presented  each  of  the  volunteers  who  went 
from  there  to  join  Col.  Duryee's  regiment  with  a 
revolver  and  knife."  This  is  suggestive  of  the 
work  that  was  expected  of  them.  May  22d  four 
hundred  to  five  hundred  people  assembled  at  the 
house  of  David  D.  Vincent,  of  Clove  Hollow,  to 


assist  in  raising  a  pole  and  flag.  Speeches  were 
made  by  AUard  Anthony  and  G.  I.  Germond,  of 
Poughkeepsie,  Rev.  R.  Mosher,  of  the  Clove, 
Wm.  O.  Thorn,  of  Washington,  and  Jeremiah 
Eighmie,  of  LaGrange.  On  the  24th  a  large  and 
enthusiastic  gathering  took  place  at  Arthursburgh 
to  celebrate  the  raising  of  a  national  flag  with  ap- 
propriate ceremonies.  Dr.  G.  Upton  was  made 
chairman,  Joseph  Colwell,  assistant  chairman,  and 
Draper  Hall,  secretary.  Addresses  were  made  by 
Charles  H.  S.  Williams,  Jr.,  Jeremiah  Eighmie, 
Albert  Emans,  Van  Wyck  Brinckerhoff,  Rev.  Mr. 
Donnelly  and  David  Ver  Valin.  The  speaking 
was  of  a  patriotic  character,  suited  to  the  occasion, 
and  was  received  with  repeated  applause.  There 
was  a  large  attendance  of  ladies.  At  Fishkill  Plains, 
on  the  29th  of  May,  a  flag  was  raised.  A  large 
.procession  was  formed,  including  many  ladies,  and 
headed  by  the  Fishkill  band,  marched  to  the  place 
where  the  raising  took  place.  Nicholas  H.  Strip- 
pie  was  chosen  chairman.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Cobb 
opened  the  exercises  with  prayer.  Charles  H.  S. 
Williams,  Jr.,  Albert  Emans,  V.  W.  Brinckerhoff, 
AUard  Anthony,  M.  D.  Wilber,  Rev.  Mr.  Lent  and 
Jeremiah  Eighmie  delivered  addresses.  June  ist  a 
flag  raising  at  Pleasant  Valley  was  largely  attended 
by  people  from  all  the  surrounding  country  to  the 
number  of  three  thousand  or  more.  Ebenezer 
Allen  was  elected  president.  Several  vice-presi- 
dents and  secretaries  were  chosen.  The  Rev.  F. 
B.  Wheeler  opened  the  exercises  with  prayer,  after 
which  addresses  were  delivered  by  Rev.  B.  F. 
Wile,  James  Bowne,  Mayor  of  Poughkeepsie, 
Rev.  F.  B.  Wheeler,  WiUiam  Wilkinson,  Esq.,  A. 
S.  Pease  and  Hon.  H.  A.  Nelson.  The  exercises 
were  interspersed  with  music  by  the  brass  band. 

Nor  were  those  engaged  in  this  labor  unmindful 
of  the  physical  needs  of  the  families  of  those  who 
heroically  threw  themselves  into  the  vortex  of  war. 
Provision  was  made  for  their  support  by  towns  and 
municipalities,  and  this  aid  was  supplemented  by 
individual  contributions.  The  Poughkeepsie  Daily 
Eagle  of  May  31,  1861,  published  a  list  of  one 
hundred  and  forty-one  subscribers  to  a  "  Fund  for 
the  Relief  of  Volunteers  from  this  County  and  their 
Families."  The  gross  amount  subscribed  was  $  i  o,- 
875.  It  comprised  one  contribution  of  $300,  one 
of  $250,  three  of  $200,  one  of  $150,  sixty-eight  of 
$100,  forty-four  of  $50,  and  twenty-three  of  $25 
each.  In  addition  $254.61  was  donated  by  dif- 
ferent individuals,  included  in  which  was  $69.61 
from  the  pupils  of  Rev.  Mr.  Rider's  school,  being 
the  proceeds  of  a  concert. 


146 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


The  men  who  enlisted  in  this  county  under  these 
calls  and  the  subsequent  ones  of  October  ist  and 
November  6th  of  that  year  were  scattered  through 
so  many  different  organizations   and  branches  of 
the   service   that   it   would   be  an    almost  inter- 
minable task  to  trace  their  connection,  and  make 
a  record  quite  too  voluminous  for  the  scope  of  this 
work.     Many  joined  the  20th  Regiment,  which  was 
raised  at  Kingston,  for  two  years,  and  was  composed 
largely  of  those  who  had  belonged  to  it  as  a  militia 
regiment.     The   regiment  left  its  encampment  at 
Kingston,  for  the   seat  of  war  October  25,  1861. 
Previous  to  this — on   the   nth   of  October — the 
regiment  made  a  farewell  visit  to  Poughkeepsie. 
After  parading  the  streets  a  bountiful  collation  was 
served   by  the   ladies  in   Pine's   Hall,  which   was 
handsomely     decorated.      They     were     escorted 
through   the   principal    streets   by   the   Ellsworth 
Greys,  the  rain  preventing  a  strict  adherence  to  the 
programme   laid   down.     After  the  collation.  Rev. 
G.  M.  McEckron,  in  a  patriotic  speech,  presented 
the  regimental  standard  prepared  by  the  ladies  of 
Poughkeepsie.     It   bore  on  each  side  the   seal  of 
the  State  of  New  York,  and  the  inscription  "  20th 
Regt.  N.  Y.  S.  T."     On  one  side  was   inscribed 
"  From  the  Ladies  of  Poughkeepsie,"  and  on  the 
other,  "Organized   Augusts,  1857."     Mrs.  Wins- 
low  also  presented  a  national  flag  with  the  direction 
to  "  present  it  to  one  Jeff.  Davis,  as  the  ensign  of 
the  Southern  Confederacy,  and  if  he  objects  to  re- 
ceiving and  adopting  it,  tell  him  he  must."     Capt. 
Smith  responded  in    behalf  of  the   regiment,  and 
both  he   and   Mr.  McEckron  were  interrupted  by 
almost  continuous  cheering,  "  and  when  Col.  Pratt 
took  the  two  flags  and  asked  the  regiment  if  they 
would  defend  them,  the  cries  of  'We  Will'  were  ab- 
solutely deafening."     Company  A  of  this  regiment, 
commanded  by  Capt.  James  Smith,  was  raised  in 
Poughkeepsie.     The  regiment  numbered  950  offi- 
cers and  men,  758  of  whom  were  present  in  Pough- 
keepsie on  the  nth  of  October.     John  R.  Leslie, 
who  was  well  known  as  a  teacher  in  Poughkeepsie, 
was  ist  Lieut,  of  Co.  B,  of  this  regiment.     Dr.  R. 
K.  Tuthill,  also  of  Poughkeepsie,  was   Assistant 
Surgeon,    and    Theodore  Van  Kleeck,   Sergeant 
Major  of  the  same  regiment. 

Many  others  united  with  the  30th  Regiment,  for 
two  years.  Co.  E  of  that  regiment,  commanded  by 
Capt.  Harrison  Holliday,  who  raised  the  first  com- 
pany for  the  war  in  Poughkeepsie,  left  Poughkeep- 
sie 130  strong,  and  returned  at  the  expiration  of 
*two  years  with  only  55.  The  regiment  was  mus- 
tered June  1, 1861,  and  left  for  the  seat  of  war  that    1 


month,  (passing   Poughkeepsie   en  route  for  New 
York  on  the  27th,)  but  were  not  actively  employed 
till  the  following   year,  when  they  formed  part  of 
McDowell's  corps  on  the  Rappahannock,     On  the 
loth  of  August  the  regiment  was  sent  to  re-enforce 
Pope,  and  afterwards  took  part  in  the  short,  but 
momentous   campaign  under  that  General,  which 
ended  in  the  retreat  to  Washington.     In  the  battle 
at  Gainesville  and  2d  Bull  Run,  the  Poughkeepsie 
Co.  lost  its  captain  and  the  regiment  its  colonel. 
Soon    afterwards   they    were    again    engaged    at 
the  battles  of  South  Mountain  and  Antietam,  bear- 
ing in  each  a  distinguished   part.     They  were  also 
present  at  the  battle  of  Fredericksburgh,  under  Burn- 
side,   and   at  Chancellorsville,  under  Hooker,  but 
took  no  prominent  part  in   either.     Eleven  battle- 
fields  witnessed  its  devotion  to  the  Union.     The 
regiment  joined  the  army  with    741    men,  which 
number  was  subsequently  increased  to  1,100.     It 
returned  with  491.     It  lost  in  killed  and  wounded, 
331;  by  deaths  and  accidents,   12;  by  discharges 
through   sickness  or  disability,  288.     It  had  6  offi- 
cers and  94  men  killed  and  12  officers  and  219  men 
wounded  in  action.     Flockton's   band   of  Pough- 
keepsie, were  engaged  by  Col.  Frisbee  of  this  regi- 
ment during  its  encampment  at  Camp  Rathbone, 
near  West  Troy,  and  to  escort  it  to  the  city  of 
Washington.     This  band  subsequently  enlisted  for 
two  years  to  accompany  the  regiment  to  the  war. 

Co.  I  of  the  74th  regiment,  was  raised  in  Pough- 
keepsie, in  the  summer  of  1861,  by  Capt.  Arthur 
Wilkinson,  and  served  for  three  years.  In  August 
and  September  of  that  year  some  T35  men  were 
enlisted  in  this  county  for  Col.  Ramsey's  regiment, 
then  stationed  at  Camp  Leslie,  Dobb's  Feriy, 
mostly  by  Lieut.  Broom.  August  31st,  as  that 
officer  was  about  to  leave  Poughkeepsie  with  a 
party  of  volunteers  for  that  camp,  they  were  ad- 
dressed in  a  kind  and  encouraging  speech  by  Mrs. 
Charles  H.  Ruggles,  of  Poughkeepsie,  who,  at  the 
conclusion  of  her  remarks,  presented  each  with 
two  pocket-handkerchiefs,  and  informed  them  that 
"a  patriotic  lady  was  preparing  them  a  flag,  which 
she  trusted  they  would  bear  right  gallantly  for  the- 
honor  of  the  country."  On  Friday,  Oct.  4th,  that 
lady  presented  a  stand  of  colors  to  Capt.  A.  Lava- 
lie's  company,  (formerly  Co.  C,  of  Col.  Ramsey's 
regiment,)  at  Dobb's  Ferry.  This  company  was 
recruited  in  this  county  by  Lieut.  Broom.  In 
August,  1 86 1,  Edward  Titus,  son  of  the  late  Judge 
Titus,  of  the  town  of  Washington,  was  authorized 
by  Col.  De  Forest  to  recruit  a  company  of  cavalry. 
His  headquarters  were  at  Little  Rest  in  this  county, 


THE  WAR  OF  THE  REBELLION,  ENLISTMENTS  DURING  1861. 


147 


and  a  branch  office  was  opened  by  Wm.  H.  Broas, 
at  314  Main  street,  Poughkeepsie.  Fifty-five  men 
were  recruited,  mostly  in  the  interior  and  eastern 
parts  of  the  county,  and  joined  the  Ira  Harris 
Guard,  then  rendezvoused  in  New  York.  Nearly 
an  entire  company  of  the  Washington  Greys,  (af- 
terwards designated  the  47th,)  commanded  by  Col. 
Henry  Moore,  were  recruited  in  the  towns  of  Stan- 
ford, Pine  Plains  and  Clinton,  with  a  few  from 
Poughkeepsie,  in  the  summer  of  1861.  They 
joined  the  regiment  at  East  New  York  the  latter 
part  of  August,  and  two  weeks  later  proceeded  to 
Washington  and  encamped  on  Meridian  Hill.  It 
subsequently  removed  to  Camp  Sherman,  named 
in  honor  of  Gen.  Sherman,  and  situated  about  a 
mile  from  the  capitol.  It  was  brigaded  with  four 
other  regiments  under  Gen.  Egbert  Velie,  a  West 
Point  officer.  In  September,  1861,  twenty-eight 
men  were  recruited  by  Capt.  Charles  Bohrer,  for 
the  Morgan  Rifles,  composed  entirely  of  Germans, 
and  commanded  by  Col.  Andrew  Leutz.  The  re- 
cruiting office  was  in  George  Seiver's  lager  beer 
saloon,  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Bridge  streets 
in  Poughkeepsie.  Thirty  men  were  enfisted  by 
Wm.  H.  Wheeler  for  Capt.  Cromwell's  company 
of  the  First  New  York  State  Cavalry,  encamped  at 
Troy  and  commanded  by  Col.  Morrison.  Twenty 
of  these — six  from  the  city  and  the  rest  from  the 
country — left  Poughkeepsie  for  the  encampment 
at  Troy  Sept.  24,  1861,  and  the  remainder,  early 
in  October.  During  the  summer  of  1861,  a  com- 
pany was  raised  at  FishkilL  Landing  to  join  the 
19th  regiment,  whose  headquarters  were  then  at 
Newburgh,  and  on  the  17th  of  August  they  were 
reviewed  by  Gen.  Parraenter.  August  19,  1861, 
Pawhng  sent  six  young  men  to  the  "People's 
Ellsworth  Regiment"  at  Albany.  Their  friends, 
to  the  number  of  one  hundred,  met  them  at  the 
cars  to  see  them  off,  and  raised  by  subscription 
over  $150  in  cash  for  their  benefit.  Other  towns 
furnished  men  for  this  regiment,  which  was  desig- 
nated the  44th,  as  follows :  Rhinebeck — 6  in  Co. 
G,  I  in  Co.  I,  6  in  Co.  C,  and  i  in  Co.  H ; 
Washington — i  in  Co.  G,  and  3  in  Co.  E ;  Town 
of  Poughkeepsie — 2  in  Co.  E ;  Poughkeepsie  City 
— 4  in  Co.  E,  viz :  the  zd  Lieut.,  and  ist,  3d  and 
4th  Sergeants ;  Pleasant  Valley—  i  each  in  Cos.  E 
and  G  ;  and  Milan — i  in  Co.  K.  Wm.  L.  Vander- 
lip  was  Captain  of  Co.  G,  Wm.  H.  Revere,  Jr.,  of 
Co.  C,  A.  W.  Shaffer,  of  Co.  I,  and  Wm.  Miller, 
of  Co.  K.  S.  W.  Stryker,  of  New  York,  was 
Colonel.  The  regiment  left  Albany  for  Washing- 
ton on  Monday,  Oct.  21st. 


In  the  fall  of  i86i,  Capt.  M.  V.  L.  Hevenor,  of 
Rhmebeck,  was  engaged  in  raising  a  company  to  be 
attached  to  the  First  Regiment,  Clinton  Guards, 
and  composed  in  good  part  of  members  of  the 
Schuyler  Guard,  then  recently  returned  from  three 
months'  service.  The  Rhinebeck  Gazette  of  that 
period  said,  "  Recruits  are  offering  freely."  The 
regiment  was  commanded  by  Col.  Spencer  W. 
Cone,  a  West  Point  graduate,  and  was  rendezvoused 
at  Camp  Harris,  on  Staten  Island.  Oct.  25th, 
Capt.  Manton  C.  Angell  left  Poughkeepsie  with 
six  men  for  Co.  B,  of  that  regiment,  en  route  for 
the  camp  on  Staten  Island.  November  30th,  Capt. 
Atkins,  of  the  American  Citizens  Corps,  left  Pough- 
keepsie with  thirteen  men  for  the  McClellan 
•  Chasseurs,  (the  91st  Vols.,)  organized  at  Albany 
in  December,  1861.  Jan.  9,  1862,  Lieut.  Phoenix 
Bockee,  of  Co.  B,  2d  N.  Y.  (Jackson,)  Artillery, 
left  by  the  Harlem  railroad  with  twelve  men  for 
that  regiment,  at  Camp  Yates,  East  New  York. 
In  the  latter  part  of  October,  1861,  Lieut.  S.  W. 
Cooper  of  the  8th  U.  S.  Infantry  opened  a  re- 
cruiting office  in  the  city  hall,  Poughkeepsie,  and 
during  the  two  succeeding  months  enlisted  fourteen 
men  for  that  regiment,  which  was  then  stationed  in 
Fort  Hamilton.  November  14th,  Capt.  Thacher, 
of  the  14th  Regulars,  took  eleven  recruits  to  the 
camp  of  the  regiment  in  Maryland.  Early  in  De- 
cember, Lieut.  Benjamin  Atkins  opened  a  recruiting 
office  at  the  armory  of  the  American  Citizens 
Corps,  in  the  Library  Building  in  Poughkeepsie, 
for  Capt.  Samuel  S.  Parker's  Co.  B,  87th  Regi- 
ment, formerly  the  13th  Brooklyn.  About  the 
middle  of  November,  Henry  A.  Downing  opened 
a  recruiting  office  in  the  court  house  for  the  Put- 
nam Rifles,  commanded  by  Col.  H.  W.  Adams. 
About  the  middle  of  September  a  recruiting  station 
was  established  at  277  Main  street  in  Poughkeep- 
sie, for  the  De  Epineuil  Zouaves,  (53d  Vols.,)  a 
regiment  commanded  by  officers  who  had  seen  ser- 
vice in  the  French  army. 

In  these  and  various  other  organizations,  too 
numerous  for  detailed  mention,  the  bone  and  sinew 
of  the  yeomanry  of  Duchess  county  were  repre- 
sented in  detached  fragments,  but  exceeding  in 
the  aggregate  a  thousand  men,  the  offering  of  this 
first  spontaneous  outburst  of  patriotism.  For  in- 
telligence and  sterling  manly  qualities  they  com- 
pared favorably  with  the  troops  of  that  period  from 
any  section  of  the  State  or  country.  S.  H.  Bogardus, 
Jr.,  of  Co.  C,  5th  Regiment,  writing  under  date  of 
Oct.  8,  1 86 1,  from  Camp  Federal  Hill,  where  the 
regiment  were  engaged  in  erecting  batteries,  said, 


148 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


the  Poughkeepsie  boys  are  well  thought  of  in  the 
regiment.  Such,  if  it  could  have  found  expression, 
might  have  been  the  verdict  of  the  Duchess  county 
troops  generally.  Nor  did  they  in  all  cases  fill  in- 
conspicuous niches.  Lieut.  John  L.  Worden,  who 
distinguished  himself  in  command  of  the  Monitor  m 
the  desperate  encounter  with  the  Merrimac,  March 
9,  1862,  was  a  native  of  Duchess  county,  and  for- 
merly resided  in  Fishkill,  and  also,  for  a  time,  in 
Poughkeepsie.  The  builder  of  that  staunch  craft, 
(the  Monitor,)  Stephen  Simmons,  was  a  native  of 
Poughkeepsie,  a  son  of  Isaac  Simmons,  a  well-known 
blacksmith. 

In  the  spring  of  1862,  the  prospect  of  an  early 
peace  induced  the  government  to  suspend  the  or- 
ganization of  new  regiments,  and  some  that  had 
been  forwarded  were  actually  mustered  out  ;  but 
on  the  zd  of  July  of  that  year,  the  President,  in- 
duced by  the  severe  losses  sustained  by  the  federal 
armies  in  the  early  campaigns  of  1862,  and  urged 
on  the  28th  of  June  by  the  governors  of  seventeen 
loyal  States,  issued  a  call  for  an  additional  300,000 
men,  to  serve  for  three  years  or  during  the  war. 
Of  this  number  New  York's  quota  was  59,705; 
and  in  order  to  facilitate  and  systematize  the  labor 
of  raising  them,  and  equalize  the  burden  to  be 
borne,  on  the  7th  of  July  the  State  was  divided 
into  military  districts,  corresponding,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  first  eight,  with  the  senatorial  dis- 
tricts. 

Duchess  county  was  then  associated  with  Co- 
lumbia in  forming  the  nth  district,  in  which  the 
raising  of  a  regiment  was  authorized,  and  TivoU 
was  designated  as  the  regimental  camp.  Hon. 
William  Kelly,  of  Rhinebeck,  and  Isaac  Piatt,  of 
Poughkeepsie,  were  appointed  by  the  Governor 
members  of  a  committee,  of  which  the  former  was 
made  chairman,  to  adopt  measures  for  facilitating 
the  raising  of  such  regiment,  and  were  empowered 
to  add  to  their  number  by  forwarding  to  the  Gov- 
ernor the  names  of  such  as  they  chose  to  associate 
with  themselves.  They  were  also  commissioned  to 
recommend  a  commander  and  other  principal  offi- 
cers for  the  regiment. 

A  meeting  of  this  committee  and  others  asso- 
ciated with  them  was  held  at  the  Poughkeepsie 
Hotel,  Saturday,  July  12,  1862,  and  attended  by 
the  following  named  persons  :  Hon.  William  Kelly, 
Hon.  John  Thompson,  Hon.  John  H.  Otis,  Hon. 
James  Emott,  Hon.  Stephen  Baker,  C.  W.,  Swift, 
Benson  J.  Lossing,  Isaac  Piatt,  W.  S.  Johnston, 
James  H.  Weeks,  Hon.  Gilbert  Dean  and  Ambrose 
Wager.     James   Emott,  Benson  J.  Lossing,  John 


H.  Ketcham,  J.  F.  Barnard  and  Ambrose  Wager 
were  appointed  an  executive  committee  to  confer 
with  a  Hke  committee  from  Columbia  county,  and 
to  devise  ways  and  means  to  carry  out  the  recom- 
mendations of  the  Governor.  Hons.  WilUam 
Kelly  and  Stephen  Baker  were  appointed  ex  officio 
members  of  said  committee,  and  of  the  joint  com- 
mittee to  be  appointed  by  the  two  counties. 

The  committee  for  the  two  counties  was  as  fol- 
lows :  Hon.  William  Kelly,  chairman,  James  Emott, 
John  Thompson,  James  H.  Weeks,  Isaac  Piatt, 
John  C.  Cruger,  J.  F.  Barnard,  C.  W.  Swift,  H.  A. 
Nelson,  J.  H.  Ketcham,  H.  H.  Hustis,  Albert 
Emans,  J.  B.  Dutcher,  J.  B.  Carpenter,  Benson  J. 
Lossing,  John  S.  Thome,  John  H.  Otis,  Isaac  W. 
White,  William  S.  Johnston,  Gilbert  Dean,  A. 
Wager,  H.  H.  Sincerbox,  Joel  Benton,  Richard 
Peck,  WiUiam  Chambeflain,  Henry  Staats  and 
Herrick  Thome  for  Duchess  county ,  and  Henry 
Hogeboom,  Theodore  Miller,  Darius  Peck,  WiUiam 
H.  Tobey,  O.  L.  Beale,  D.  S.  Cowles,  H.  H.  Til- 
den,  J.  G.  Palen,  R.  F.  Clark,  S.  G.  Tompkins, 
John  C.  Collins,  A.  T.  Miller,  S.  S.  Wynkoop,  S. 
W.  Tobey  and  Capt.  Ashley,  of  Columbia  county. 

The  joint  committee  met  at  Poughkeepsie,  July 
17,  1862,  and  on  motion  of  Mr.  Lossing  resolved 
to  request  the  Governor  to  change  the  regimental 
camp  for  this  military  district  from  Tivoli  to  Hud- 
son. This  change  was  authorized  July  25,  1862, 
by  General  Order  No.  378. 

It  was  also  resolved : — 

"  That,  having  in  view  the  relative  population  of 
the  counties  of  Duchess  and  Columbia,  the  county 
of  Duchess  is  required  to  furnish  as  her  proportion 
of  a  regiment  of  1,010  rank  and  file,  585  men, 
and  the  county  of  Columbia,  425,  and  that  the  ex- 
ecutive committee  of  each  county  be  requested 
to  take  such  action  in  apportioning  the  same  upon 
their  said  counties  as  may  be  deemed  most  effect- 
ive, in  their  judgment,  for  the  speedy  raising  of 
such  numbers  respectively." 

The  executive  committees  were  "requested  to 
obtain  subscriptions  to  meet  the  incidental  ex- 
penses (not  ptherwise  provided  for,)  connected 
with  the  raising  of  the  regiment."  At  that  meet- 
ing Mr.  Wager  presented  the  application  of  P. 
Chichester,  of  Poughkeepsie,  to  be  enrolled  as  the 
first  recruit  in  the  regiment. 

George  Parker  opened  a  recruiting  office  in  the 
armory  of  the  "  Ellsworth  Greys,"  in  the  city  hall 
of  Poughkeepsie,  July  22,  1862.  On  the  23dj  F. 
N.  Sterling  and  S.  C.  Doty  were  associated  with 
him  in  a  call  for  recruits  for  the  new  regiment. 
Robert  F.  Wilkinson,  who  was  appointed  and  duly 


,  THE  WAR  OF  THE  REBELLION,  CALL  OF  JULY  2D,  1862. 


149 


authorized  to  enlist  recruits  for  this  district,  opened 
an  office  at  No.  2  Union  street.  John  A.  Van- 
Keuren,  Dewitt  C.  Underwood  and  John  P.  Wil- 
kinson also  signed  a  call  for  recruits,  having  opened 
an  office  in  the  court  house  in  Poughkeepsie. 
About  the  same  time  George  Veitch,  of  RhineclifF, 
engaged  to  raise  a  company  for  the  district  regi- 
ment in  Rhinebeck. 

David  S.  Cowles,  of  Hudson, was  chosen  Colonel 
of  the  regiment  to  be  raised  in  this  district  ; 
and  Capt.  Alexander  Annan,  of  Fishkill,  Quarter- 
master. Capt.  Annan  had  seen  considerable  ser- 
vice in  the  South,  especially  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Corinth.  Capt.  Abram  Ashley,  of  Chatham 
Four  Corners,  was  soon  after  appointed  Adjutant. 

The  quotas  of  the  several  towns  in  this  county 
under  the  call  of  July  2,  1862,  and  their  popula- 
tion in  i860,  are  shown  in  the  following  table : — 

Pop.  in  i860.    Quota. 

Amenia 2,288  35 

Beekman i,37f  21 

Clinton 1,922  3° 

Dover 2,305  36 

East  Fishkill 2,544  39 

Fishkill 9>S46  i47 

Hyde  Park 2,749  43 

LaGrange 1,850  29 

Milan 1,522  24 

North  East i,73S  27 

Pawling 1,743  27 

Pine  Plains ••  1,412  22 

Pleasant  Valley 2,343  36 

Poughkeepsie,  (town) 3,122  48 

"            (city) 14,726  227 

Red  Hook 3,964  61 

Rhinebeck 3,289  51 

Stanford 2,323  36 

Union  Vale i,S°2  23 

Washington 2,685  42 

Duchess  County 64,941    1,004 

The  following  communication  explains  itself  and 
evinces  the  earnestness  with  which  the  promotion 
of  enlistments  was  entered  into  : — 
''Executive  Committee  for  Duchess  County: — 

"  We  beg  leave  to  place  in  the  hands  of  your 
committee  the  sum  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars to  be  distributed  as  follows  :  $100  to  the  cap- 
tain of  the  first  company  from  this  county  mus- 
tered into  the  service  at  our  District  Camp ;  $75 
to  the  captain  of  the  second  company  so  mustered 
in  ;  $50  to  the  captain  of  the  third  company  so 
mustered  in ;  and  $25  to  the  captain  of  the  fourth 
company  so  mustered  into  service. 

"  Very  respectfully,  C.  W.  Swift, 

James  Emott, 
George  Innis, 
M.  Vassar,  Jr., 
A.  Van  Kleeck." 


A  large  and  stirring  war  meeting  was  held  in  the 
Baptist  Church  at  Pawling  Station  July  25th,  over 
which  Hon.  John  B.  Dutcher  presided,  assisted  by 
Duncan  Campbell  and  David  Gould.  The  church 
was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity  at  an  early  hour 
by  the  people  of  that  vicinity,  a  large  number  of 
them  ladies.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Ferguson,  of  the 
Methodist  Church  at  that  place,  opened  the  meet- 
ing with  prayer.  This  was  followed  by  an  intro- 
ductory speech  by  A..  B.  Smith,  of  Poughkeepsie. 
Gen.  Lewis  Wallace  then  addressed  an  earnest  ap- 
peal to  the  patriotism  of  the  young  men  of  the 
vicinity,  and  was  followed  in  a  most  eloquent  and 
impressive  speech  by  George  W.  Sterling.  A  propo- 
sition was  then  made  to  offer  a  bounty  for  each 
recruit  in  the  town  of  Pawling,  when  a  few  liberal 
gentlemen  present  pledged  to  pay  to  each  person 
on  enlisting  the  sum  of  $25  as  a  bounty  in  addi- 
tion to  the  National  and  State  bounties.  An  en- 
thusiastic and  well  attended  meeting  was  held  at 
Beekmanville  on  the  24th,  and  addressed  by  the 
same  gentlemen. 

The  district  war  committee  arranged  for  meet- 
ings to  be  held  throughout  the  county  as  follows  : — 
August  7th,  at  Red  Hook,  to  be  addressed  by  Hons. 
James  Emott  and  Gilbert  Dean,  at  Arthursburg,  by 
Allard  Anthony  and  Hon.  Homer  A.  Nelson,  at 
Bangall,  by  Messrs.  A.  B.  Smith  and  O.  W.  Whea- 
ton,  at  Rhinebeck,  by  Hon.  John  Thompson  and 
A.  Wager ;  August  8th,  at  Mabbettsville,  by  Hon. 
James  Emott  and  C.  Wheaton,  at  Pleasant  Valley, 
by  Hons.  Gilbert  Dean  and  John  Thompson,  at 
LaFayetteville,  by  A.  Wager  and  A.  B.  Smith,  at 
Clove,  (D.  D.  Vincent's  hotel,)  by  A.  Anthony  and 
H.  A.  Nelson  ;  August  9th,  at  Gay  Head,  by  Hons. 
J.  Emott  and  G.  Dean,  at  Wappingers  Falls,  (at 
Odd  Fellows  Hall,)  by  Charles  Wheaton,  at  South 
Dover,  (Wheeler's  hotel,)  by  Hon.  H.  A.  Nelson 
and  A.  Anthony,  and  at  CUnton  Hollow,  by  A.  B. 
Smith  and  A.  Anthony. 

August  4,  1862,  the  President  issued  a  call  for 
300,000  militia  for  nine  months,  unless  sooner  dis- 
charged, and  a  draft  was  ordered  to  take  place  Aug. 
15,  1862,  to  supply  any  deficiency  in  the  quota 
at  that  time.  The  quota  of  New  York  under  this 
call  was  60,000  ;  and  though  enlistments  were  in- 
vited to  fill  this  call,  a  draft  for  that  purpose  was 
ordered  from  the  militia  of  the  State  on  the  9th  of 
August. 

Early  in  August  the  organization  of  the  district 
regimept  was  nearly  completed  and  a  regimental 
camp  had  been  formed  in  Hudson.  There  the 
recruits  from  this  county  were  rapidly  concentrat- 


15° 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


ing,  under,  the  efficient  efforts  put  forth  to  that  end. 
The  Amenia  Times  of  that  period  said :  "  Spirited 
and  enthusiastic  meetings  have  been  held  the  past 
week  in  eastern  Duchess  to  faciHtate  enlistments 
and  have  met  with  success.  The  patriotism  of  the 
people  has  been  thoroughly  aroused,  and  in  spite 
of  the  busy  season  and  short  notice  of  meetings,  a 
full  attendance  was  secured  in  every  instance."  In 
all  parts  of  the  county  the  demonstrations  of  popu- 
lar sentiments  were  of  a  similar  character.  Says 
\>!\& Poughkeepsie  Eagle  of  August  9th,  "enlistments 
are  brisk  and  constantly  becoming  more  so."  The 
town  of  Union  Vale,  one  of  the  least  populous  in 
the  county,  had  at  that  time  furnished  from  60  to 
75  recruits  from  the  commencement  of  the  war. 

August  8,  1862,  a  large  and  enthusiastic  war 
meeting  was  held  at  Mabbettsville,  John  S.  Thorn 
presided,  assisted  by  John  Sweezy  and  Samuel 
Thorn,  vice-presidents,  and  George  Sweet,  secre- 
tary. It  was  addressed  by  Hon.  James  Emott  and 
Charles  Wheaton,  who  explained  at  length  the 
issues  pending  and  the  great  importance  of  sus- 
taining the  government. 

August  9,  1862,  the  citizens  of  Pine  Plains  and 
adjacent  country  met  at  Stissing  Hall.  After  or- 
ganizing by  choosing  R.  Peck,  chairman,  and  C. 
Pitcher,  secretary,  the  assembly  adjourned  to  the 
open  air,  owing  to  the  crowded  condition  of  the 
hall,  and  was  addressed  by  Revs.  J.  Reynolds,  Wm. 
N.  Sayre  and  Wm.  Bloomer,  Messrs.  H.  H.  Morse 
and  Wm.  R.  Woodin,  and  Lieut.  Low,  from  the 
balcony  of  A.  T.  Jones'  hotel.  The  addresses  had 
a  telling  eifect  upon  the  audience,  "  kindling  a  per- 
fect blaze  of  enthusiasm."  A  long  series  of  stirring 
resolutions  were  adopted. 

August  13,  1862,  a  mass  meeting  was  held   at 
Pine's  Hall,  in  Poughkeepsie.     At  an  earlier  hour 
than  usual  the  stores  of  the  city  were  mostly  closed 
that  the  merchants  and  others  might  attend.     The 
spacious  hall  was  well  filled  by  an  appreciative  and 
enthusiastic  audience,  including  a  goodly  number 
of   ladies  in   the  gallery.      Hon.    James  Emott 
called  the  meeting  to  order  and  nominated  the  fol- 
lowing officers  :    President,  Hon.  Stephen  Baker ; 
Vice-Presidents,  Charles  E.  Bostwick,  of  Amenia' 
Jeremiah  Sheldon,  of  Beekman,  John  S.  Wing,  of 
Clinton,    Obed    Wing,   of  Dover,    Lawrence 'c. 
Rapelji,  of  East  FishkiU,  James  Mackin,  of  Fish- 
kill,  James  M.  Friss,  of  Hyde  Park,  Albert  Emans, 
of  La  Grange,  Herrick  Thome,  of  Milan,    John 
Campbell,  of  North  East,  S.  A.  Barnum,  of  Paw- 
hng»  Cornelius  Pitcher,  of  Pine  Plains,  John  W 
Lattin,  of  Pleasant  Valley,  Anthony  Woolsey,  of 


Poughkeepsie,  (town,)  Henry  C.  Smith,  James  H. 
Dudley,  George  R.  Gaylord,  Henry  W.  Shaw, 
(Josh  Billings,)  of  Poughkeepsie,  (city,)  George 
Shoemaker,  of  Red  Hook,  Andrew  J.  Heermance, 
of  Rhinebeck,  Isaac  G.  Sands,  of  Stanford,  Wm. 
R.  Bagely,  of  Union  Vale,  David  S.  Tallman,  of 
Washington;  Secretaries,  Hon.  A.  Wager,  Rhine- 
beck,  Hon.  John  B.  Dutcher,  Amenia,  John  F.  Hull 
and  O.  J.  Gaylord,  Poughkeepsie.  A  pointed 
speech  was  made  by  Mr.  Emott,  after  which  the 
"  Star  Spangled  Banner "  was  sung  by  Mr.  Hay- 
man,  the  audience  joining  in  the  chorus.  Charles 
Wheaton,  of  Poughkeepsie,  Wm.  H.  Bostwick,  of 
Amenia,  Joseph  C.  Doughty,  of  Poughkeepsie, 
John  H.  Ketcham,  of  Dover,  David  Warren,  of 
Washington,  and  T.  V.  W.  Brinckerhoff,  of  East 
Fishkill,  were  appointed  a  committee  on  resolutions. 
Addresses  full  of  energf  and  eloquence  were 
made  by  Hon.  John  Thompson,  AUard  Anthony 
and  A.  B.  Smith,  all  being  received  with  bursts  of 
applause. 

The  following  day,  August  12th,  another  large 
meeting  assembled  in  Pine's  Hall,  in  Poughkeepsie, 
composed  mostly  of  working  men,  the  chief  object 
being  to  aid  in  obtaining  recruits.  The  meeting 
was  called  to  order  by  C.  W.  Swift  and  Mayor 
James  Bowne  chosen  president.  After  an  eloquent 
address  by  Judge  Bowne,  of  Orange  county,  Hon. 
James  Emott  presented  the  proposition  of  another 
gentleman  to  give  $10  each  to  the  first  five  re- 
cruits who  enlisted  that  night.  Speeches  were 
made  by  Mayor  Bowne,  William  Schwab,  Hon. 
John  Thompson,  Hon.  Gilbert  Dean  and  Mark 
D.  Wilber.  Mr.  Schwab  spoke  briefly  in  German 
and  afterwards  in  English,  awakening  a  general 
enthusiasm  by  his  energetic  appeals. 

A  large  and  enthusiastic  meeting  was  held  at 
Mabbettsville  August  13th,  and  spirjj:ed  speeches 
were  made  by  Judge  Nelson  and  Allard  Anthony. 
Mone^  was  freely  offered.  After  the  meeting,  a 
supper  was  given  to  the  volunteers— twenty-two  in 
number— Capt.  Bostwick  and  Lieut.  Dutcher,  who 
were  organizing  the  company,  were  present  and 
added  greatly  to  the  spirit  which  prevailed.  The 
Stanfordville  band  did  much  to  enliven  the  occa- 
sion. 

At  Wappingers  Falls,  August  14th,  the  departure 
of  twenty-one  volunteers  for  Camp  Kelly,  at  Hud- 
son, was  made  the  occasion  of  a  public  demonstra- 
tion. The  factories  at  that  place  were  stopped 
and  the  population  turned  out  en  masse  to  escort 
them  to  Fishkill  Landing,  where  they  were  joined 
by  others  of  Capt.  De  Wint's  Company.     A  meet- 


'^E  WAR  OF  THE  REBELLION,  THE  i28th  REGIMENT. 


IS' 


ing  of  the  operatives  of  the  Duchess  Print  Works, 
at  Wappingers  Falls  was  held  the  13th,  for  the 
purpose  of  providing  some  means  for  the  support 
of  the  families  of  those  of  their  number  who 
might  be  drafted  under  the  recent  government 
order.  It  was  agreed  that  each  person  should 
contribute  toward  that  object  two  per  cent,  of  his 
monthly  earnings. 

A  meeting  of  the  patriotic  citizens  of  La  Grange 
was  held  August  14th,  and  largely  attended.  Ad- 
dresses were  made  by  Albert  Emans  and  Gilbert 
Dean.  As  a  result  of  the  meeting  a  sufficient 
amount  was  subscribed  to  give  to  each  volunteer 
from  that  town  $55  extra  bounty. 

On  the  1 8th  of  August  a  workingmen's  meeting 
was  held  at  the  armory  of  the  Montgomery  Guards 
in  Poughkeepsie,  at  which  a  large  number  of  the 
bone  and  sinew  of  the  city  were  present.  Speeches 
were  made  by  Phineas  H.  Beach,  William  Har- 
low, a  carpenter  of  Poughkeepsie,  A.  S.  Pease, 
Jeremiah  Eighmie,  of  East  Fishkill,  and  A.  B. 
Smith,  of  Poughkeepsie.  Good  feeling  pre- 
vailed and  several  volunteers  were  added  to  the 
Montgomery  Guards.  On  the  19th  Capt.  Robert 
McConnell  of  the  company,  left  Poughkeepsie  for 
the  camp  at  Hudson  with  thirty-eight  men. 

The  town  of  Clinton,  which,  says  the  Pough- 
keepsie Eagle  of  August  21st,  1862,  "has  had  the 
name  of  being  far  behind  her  sister  towns  in  fur- 
nishing men  for  the  armies  of  the  Republic,"  "  is 
now  thoroughly  aroused.  The  hearts  and  pockets 
of  all  are  in  the  work  and  are  putting  forth  every 
effort  to  fill  up  her  quota  *  *  *  *  with 
volunteers.'' 

A  war  meeting  was  held  at  Clinton  Hollow,  Aug. 
1 8th,  at  which  the  town  was  well  represented. 
The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Supervisor 
John  S.  Wing,  and  Stephen  H.  Smith  chosen  chair- 
man. Speeches  were  made  by  Capt.  George 
Parker,  Edward  Wickes  and  others.  It  was  unani- 
mously resolved  to  give  to  each  volunteer  accredited 
to  the  town  between  July  3d  and  Sept.  i,  1862, 
$200,  to  be  assessed  upon  the  taxable  property  of 
the  town.  A  local  military  committee,  consisting 
of  Gilbert  Bently,  Stephen  H.  Smith,  Thomas 
Doty,  Abraham  Leroy,  Philip  H.  Moore,  John  G. 
Halsted,  Tilly  Grouse,  Smith  Eckert,  Frederick  C. 
Filkins  and  Morgan  Traver,  was  appointed  to 
superintend  volunteering  in  the  town  and  authorized 
to  borrow  a  sum  sufficient  to  secure  the  object 
proposed  in  the  resolutions,  and  to  disburse  the 
same.  The  resolutions  were  also  brought  before 
the  meeting  at  Schultzville,  August  20th  and  con- 


firmed. These  measures  had  the  effect  to  stimu- 
late enlistments  in  the  town. 

Under  the  stimulus  of  these  meetings  and  others 
held  elsewhere  in  the  county,  recruiting  progressed 
with  great  activity,  and  by  the  27th  of  August,  so 
says  the  Hudson  Star,  more  than  a  thousand  men 
were  rendezvoused  in  Camp  Kelly  in  that  city. 
August  14th,  Francis  W.  Van  Wagner,  of  Pough- 
keepsie, was  appointed  Provost  Marshal  of  Duch- 
ess county.  August  15th,  J.  J.  Smith,  of  the  same 
city,  was  appointed  military  instructor  for  the  reg- 
iment forming  at  Hudson;  and  on  the  i6th,  the 
district  war  committee  recommended  Capt.  James 
Smith,  of  Poughkeepsie,  for  Lieut-Colonel  .of  the 
regiment,  and  Capt.  Foster,  of  Hudson,  for  Major. 
Both  had  served  a  year  in  the  field  and  were  well 
qualified. 

Of  the  officers  of  the  district  regiment,  which 
was  designated  the  128th,  the  following  were  from 
Duchess  county  :  Lt.  Col.,  James  Smith,  Pough- 
keepsie; Quartermaster,  Alexander' Annan,  Fish- 
kill;  ist  Asst.  Surgeon,  C.  H.  Andrus,  Poughkeepsie; 
Commissary  Sergeant,  E.'  Augustus  Brett,  Fish- 
kill;  Quartermaster  Sergeant,  George  S.  Drake, 
Amenia;  Ordnance  Sergeant,  John  Matthews,  Jr., 
Matteawan  ;  Color  Sergeant,  James  M.  Braley, 
Rhinebeck.  Companies  B,  C,  D,  F,  H  and  I,  were 
raised  in  this  county,  and  were  officered  as  follows  : 
Co.  B,  (which  contained  17  enlisted  men  from 
Washington,  13  from  Amenia,  13  from  North 
East,  7  from  Pine  Plains,  13  from  Dover,  15  from 
Pawling,  and  18  from  Stanford,)  Captain,  Charles 
E.  Bostwick,  Amenia,  1st  Lieut.,  Thomas  N. 
Dutcher,  Dover,  2d  Lieut.,  Jeremiah  S.  Pearce, 
Pawling;  Co.  C,  (which  contained  32  enlisted  men 
from  Rhinebeck,  24  from  Milan,  21  from  Red 
Hook,  13  from  Clinton,  i  from  Washington,  3 
from  Hyde  Park,  and  7  from  Stanford,)  Captain, 
Francis  S.  Keese,  Rhinebeck,  ist  Lieut.,  Howard 
H.  Morse,  Rhinebeck,  2d  Lieut.,  Thomas  N. 
Davies,  Milan ;  Co.  D,  (which  contained  56  en- 
listed men  from  Poughkeepsie,  9  from  Hyde  Park, 
I  from  Amenia,  6  from  Pleasant  Valley,  4  from 
Pine  Plains,  i  from  Dover,  i  from  Stanford,  5 
from  Clinton,  i  from  LaGrange,  1  from  Wash- 
ington, I  from  Pawling,  i  from  Beekman,  i  from 
Fishkill,  and  11  from  Columbia  county,)  Captain, 
George  Parker,  Poughkeepsie,  ist  Lieut.,  Francis 
N.  Sterling,  Poughkeepsie,  and  2d  Lieut.,  Spencer 
C.  Doty,  Poughkeepsie  ;  Co.  F,  (which  contained 
48  enlisted  men  from  Fishkill,  16  from  Pawling,  6 
from  Stanford,  4  from  Washington,  2  from  Amenia, 
3  from  North  East,  3  from  Dover,  6  from  Pine 


IS2 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


Plains,  I  from  Rhinebeck,  i  from  Red  Hook^  and 
2  from  Columbia  county,)  Captain,  A.  DeWint,  ist 
Lieut.,  J.  J.  Williamson,  2d  Lieut.,  C.  A.  Ander- 
son, all  of  Fishkill ;   Co.  H,  (which  contained  49 
enlisted  men  from  Fishkill,  16  from  East  Fishkill, 
24  from  Poughkeepsie,  2  from  Hyde  Park,  2  from 
Union  Vale,  and  i  from  Beekman,)  Captain,  John 
A.  Van  Keuren,  Poughkeepsie,  ist  Lieut.,  Henry 
H.  Sincerbox,  and  2d  Lieut.,  Sylvester  H.  Morse, 
both  of  Fishkill ;   Co.  I,  (which  contained  28  en- 
listed  men   from  'Poughkeepsie,   18   from  Union 
Vale,  13  from  LaGrange,  8  from  Clinton,  2  from 
Hyde  Park,  2  from  Amenia,  2  from  East  Fishkill, 
10  from  Pawling,  and    i  from  Pleasant  Valley,) 
Captain,  Robert  F.  Wilkinson,  ist  Lieut.,  Freder- 
ick Wilkinson,  2d  Lieut.,  John  P.  Wilkinson,  all  of 
Poughkeepsie.     In  addition  Hyde  Park  furnished 
14  enlisted  men.  Red  Hook,  3,  and  CHnton,  i, 
towards  Co.  K  of  that  regiment. 

The    128th   regiment   was   mustered  for  three 
years,  Sept.  4,   1862.     August  30th,  the  ladies  of 
Poughkeepsie  and  Fishkill  presented  the  regiment 
with  a  national  flag  at  Hudson,  which  city  it  left 
for  the  seat  of  war  on  the  steamer  Oregon,  Sept. 
5,  1862.     It  proceeded  to  Camp  Millington,  near 
Baltimore,  where  it  was  engaged,  in  doing  picket 
duty,  and  was  for  a  short  period  stationed  at  Har- 
per's Ferry.     It  was  soon  after  brigaded  with  the 
iioth,  114th  and  ii6th  N.  Y.  and  38th  Mass.  reg- 
iments Bnder  Gen.  Emory,  and  Oct.  2,  1862,  re- 
ceived marching  orders,  but  did  not  leave  Camp 
Millington  till  Nov.  5th,  when  it  embarked  on  the 
steamer  Arago,  forming  a  part  of  Banks'  Expedi- 
tion, and  after  lying  off  Fortress  Monroe  about  a 
month,  occasionally  going   on   shore  to  drill,  set 
sail  from  Hampton  Roads  at  noon  on  the  4th  of 
December,  in  company  with  the  Atlantic,  Baltic 
and  Ericsson,  convoyed  by  the  iron-clad,  Augusta, 
carrying  eight   large  guns,  while  another  column^ 
composed  of  the  Thames,  United  States,  Curlew, 
Pocahontas  and  one  or  two  other  small  vessels 
kept   nearer  shore.     On  the  14th  they  came  to 
anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Ship  Island,  where  lay  the 
Northern  Light,  on  board  of  which  was  the  159th, 
raised   in   Columbia,  and,   partially,   in  Duchess' 
county.     On  the  15th  they  commenced  the  ascent 
of  the  Mississippi,  and  debarked,  after  forty-one 
days  spent  on  ship  board,  at  Quarantine,  seventy- 
two  miles  below  New  Orleans,  where  they  were  de- 
tained three  weeks,  on  account  of  disease  engen- 
dered by  their  long  stay  on  shipboard  and  the  ab 
■^ence  of  regular  exercise.     Jan.  5,  1863,  the  regi- 
ment was  removed  to  Camp  Chalmette,  the  battle 


field  of  New  Orleans.  February  7,  1863,  it  was 
stationed  at  Camp  Parapet,  near  New  Orleans, 
where  excellent  precautions  were  taken  to  restore 
and  preserve  the  health  of  the  regiment  by  flooring 
the  tents.  March  4,  1863,  (at  which  time  the 
health  of  the  men  was  steadily  and  rapidly  improv- 
ing,) of  the  number  who  embarked  on  the  Arago, 
27  had  died,  25  had  been  discharged  for  disability, 
136  were  awaiting  transportation  to  New  Orleans 
from  Baltimore  and  Fortress  Monroe,  531  were  re- 
ported for  duty,  and  149  were  reported  by  the  sur- 
geons unfit  for  duty,  though  the  sickness  of  the 
latter  was  mainly  shght. 

The  regiment  bore  a  conspicuous  part  in  the 
movements  in  Louisiana.     May   12,  1863,  it  and 
the  6th  Michigan,  under  command  of  Col.  Clark, 
of  the  latter  regiment,-  left  camp  in  light  marching 
order,  and  embarked  on  platform  and  cattle  cars 
on  the  New  Orleans  and  Jackson  Railroad,  a  half 
mile  in  rear  of  their  camp.     They  proceeded  by 
rail  to  Manchac  Pass,  the'  junction  of  Lakes  Pon- 
chartrain  and  Maurepas,   at    which  point  the  rail- 
road bridge  was  burnt.     A  crossing  was  effected 
by  means  of  flat  boats,  and  after  a  very  tiresome 
march  of  six  miles  through  a  dense  cypress  swamp, 
over  the  railroad  trestle,  halted  for  the  night.     The 
march  was  resumed  at  one  o'clock  the  next  morn- 
ing, and  by  daylight  they  arrived  within  a  mile  of 
Ponchatoula,  where  skirmishers  were  thrown  out 
and  lines  of  battle  formed.     In  this  manner  they 
advanced  upon  the  town,  which  the  rebel  infantry 
had  left   two  hours   before.     Their    cavalry   re- 
mained, but  decamped  after  firing  a  few  rounds. 
At  Ponchatoula  they  were  joined  by  several  hun- 
dred   federal    cavalry,   who  had  made   a    forced 
march  from  Baton  Rouge.     They  returned  on  the 
19th,  and  reached  Camp  Parapet,  at  dark. 

The  regiment  left  camp  toward  night  of  the 
next  day,  and  at  2  a.  m.  embarked  on  the  steamer 
United  States  at  Carrolton.  In  company  with 
the  steamships  Crescent,  Creole,  Sallie  Robinson 
and  Iberville,  the  expedition  comprisingthe  brigades 
of  Nickerson  and  Dow  and  a  part  of  the  2d 
brigade  of  Sherman's  division,  they  proceeded  up 
the  river,  reaching  Baton  Rouge  at  night.  The 
next  day  they  proceeded  to  Springfield  Landing, 
just  below  Port  Hudson,  whence  they  marched  to 
the  rebel  works  at  Port  Hudson,  leaving  their 
knapsacks,  blankets  and  camp  equipage  on  board 
to  be  returned  to  Baton  Rouge. 

The  rebel  works  at  Port  Hudson  encompassed 
the  town,  resting  upon  the  river  above  and  below 
it,   and  were  encircled  by  a  wide,   deep  moat. 


THE  WAR  OF  THE  REBELLION,  THE  128TH  IN  THE  FIELD. 


153 


Sherman's  division,  to  which  the  128th  belonged, 
occupied  the  federal  left.  Augur's,  the  center,  and 
Banks',  the  right.     Gen.   Banks,  who  had  charge 
of  the  operations,  ordered  a  general  assault  at  2 
o'clock  p.  M.  on  the  27  th  of  May.     Ten  minutes 
before  the  appointed  time,  the  ist  Vermont  and 
9th  Indiana  batteries,  connected  with  the  brigade 
to  which  the  128th  belonged,  emerged  at  a  gallop 
from  the  edge  of  the  woods  in  which  they  were 
masked,  took  position  in  front  of  the  rebel  works, 
and  opened  a  terrific  fire  of  shells.      The  infantry 
were  immediately  and  rapidly  advanced  from  the 
edge  of  the  woods,  where  they  were  formed  in  line 
of  battle.     Full  six  hundred  yards  of  level  plain 
intervened  between  them  and  the  formidable  para- 
pet, from  which  a  terrific  fire  was  instantly  poured ; 
and  so  destructive  was  it,  that  at  the  first  discharge. 
Gens.  Sherman  and  Dow  and  Col.  Clark,  the  next 
in  command,   fell   wounded,    and   the   assaulting 
column  wavered  and  broke.     The  command  then 
devolved  on  Col.  Cowles,  of  the  128th,  who  rallied 
the   men   and  rushed  forward  amid   a  ceaseless 
storm  of  iron  and  lead.      Col.  Cowles  fell,  pierced 
by  six  bullets,    when  the    enemy's    works   were 
nearly  reached,    and   though  he  lived  nearly  an 
hour,  would  not  suffer  himself  to  be  carried  from 
the  field.     "Tell  my  mother,"  were  his  last  words, 
"that  I  die  with  my  face  to  the  enemy.     Boys, 
have  I  not  done  my  duty  as  a  man  and  a  soldier?" 
The  unequal  contest  was  continued  for  four  hours, 
Farragut's   fleet   co-operating   and  keeping  up  a 
very  heavy  fire,  but  it  was  a  futile  effort.    The  1 28th 
lost  20  in  killed  and  79  in  wounded,  which  one 
account  says  was  one-fourth  of  its  force  in  action. 
Col.  Cowles  was  the  only  officer  killed  or  wounded, 
except  Capt.  DeWint,  who  was  slightly  wounded. 

The  attempt  to  carry  the  rebel  works  at  Port 
Hudson  by  assault  was  renewed  on  the  14th  of 
June,  but  was,  like  the  first,  unsuccessful,  though 
a  more  advantageous  position  was  gained.  The 
casualties  in  the  128th  in  that  action  was  one 
killed  and  twenty  wounded.  Among  the  latter 
were  Capt.  G.  W.  Van  Slyck  and  Lieut.  John  P. 
Wilkinson,  Acting  Adjutant,  both  slightly.  Both 
were  on  duty  within  a  few  days. 

Lieut.  Col.  Smith  was  promoted  to  the  Colonelcy 
of  the  128th  in  June,  1863,  and  later  that  year,  Capt. 
Francis  M.  Keese  was  promoted  Major  in  place  of 
Major  Giff'ord,  who  was  taken  prisoner  at  Port  Hud- 
son May  26,  1863,  and  died  from  fever  at  New 
Orleans,  August  8,  1863.  Major  Keese  was  from 
Rhinebeck,  and  a  son  of  John  M.  Keese,  then  the 
postmaster  at  that  place. 


Col.  Smith,  writing  from  before  Port  Hudson 
July  6, 1863,  at  which  time  the  128th  was  attached 
to  the  ist  brigade,  2d  division,  19th  cqrps,  thus  re- 
capitulates the  losses  sustained  by  the  regiment  to 
that  time : — 
The  number  of  men  enlisted  in  the  regiment 

was 1,021 

-The  number  of  men  mustered  in  the  regi- 
ment Sept.  4,  1862,  was 993 

Killed  in  action,  on  picket,  skirmish- 
ing, etc 23 

Died  of  disease 63 

Died  from  wounds 2 

Discharged  for  disability 77 

Missing 6 

Deserted   62 

Present  strength 

\  Commissioned  officers     33 

J  Enlisted  men 727760  993 

Wounded  in  action  and  by  accident  since 
the  regiment  had  been  in  the  service, 
nearly  all  of  whom  would  return  to  duty,        79 
The  fall  of  Vicksburg  made  Port  Hudson  unten- 
able, and  it  was  surrendered  July  8,  1863.     The 
128th  was  one  of  the  two  regiments  selected  from 
the  division  to  occupy  the  place,  and  receive  the 
surrender  of  arms  and  munitions  from  the  rebel 
gan-ison.     July  nth,  the  regiment  was  detailed  to 
escort  a  large  train  of  artillery  from  Port  Hudson 
to  Baton  Rouge,  a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles. 
The  march  was  made  in  one  night. 

July  isth,  the  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  3d 
brigade,  3d  division,  (which  was  soon  after  changed 
to  the  2d  brigade,   ist  division,)  and  left  Baton 
Rouge  with  the  brigade  on  transports  for  Donald- 
son ville.  La.,  where  our  forces  had  been  attacked 
and  driven  back.     There  it  remained  till  August 
2d,  when  it  was  detached  and  sent  up  the  river 
some  ten  or  twelve  miles  above  Donaldsonville,  to 
prevent  guerillas  from  attacking  or  firing  on  pass- 
ing boats.     August    itth   it   was   ordered  to  the 
village  of  Plaquemine,  fifteen  miles  higher  up  the 
river,  whence,  on  the  29th  of  that  month,  it  pro- 
ceeded to  Baton  Rouge,  where  it  was  encamped 
directly    in   the   rear   of  the   State  penitentiary. 
While  there  the  regiment  was  engaged  in  picket 
duty,  drills,  parades,  etc.,  and  their  old   colors, 
which  were  so  much  worn  as  to  be  unserviceable, 
were  exchanged  for  new  ones,  the  gift  of  the  citi- 
zens of  Poughkeepsie,  the  ladies  being  the  prime 
movers  in  the  affair.     The  losses  of  the  regiment 
from  various  causes  from  July  i  to  Sept.  3,-  1863, 
were  59  officers  and  men. 

The    128th  participated  with  a  part  of  Banks' 
forces  in  an  engagement  on  Cane  River,  April  23, 


154 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


1864,  and  lost  one  killed  and  about  twenty  wound- 
ed, only  three  or  four  dangerously  so. 

At  the  close  of  the  Red  River  Expedition  the 
regiment  returned  to  New  Orleans,  and  was  sent 
thence  to  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  where  it  served 
under  Sheridan,  participating  in  the  brilliant  en- 
gagements which  distinguished  that  intrepid 
commander. 

About  the  middle  of  September,  Sheridan,  who 
had  been  engaged  in  skirmishing  both  of  an  offen- 
sive and  defensive  character,  was  instructed  by 
Grant  to  attack  Early's  army,  at  the  risk  of  ex- 
posing Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  to  invasion, 
with  a  view  to  recovering  the  use  of  the  Baltimore 
&  Ohio  Railroad  and  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio 
Canal.  On  the  19th  of  September,  Sheridan 
attacked  Early,  who  was  posted  on  the  west  bank 
of  Opequan  Creek,  covering  Winchester,  and  after 
a  fierce  engagement,  which,  for  most  of  the  day, 
remained  undecisive,  drove  him  from  his  posi- 
tion. In  this  engagement  the  128th  was  com- 
manded by  Major  Keese,  Lt.  Col.  Foster  being  in 
command  of  the  3d  brigade,  2d  division.  The 
regiment  lost  7  killed,  57  wounded,  and  8  missing. 
Among  the  wounded  was  Major  Keese.  "  There 
was  scarcely  a  man  in  the  regiment,"  says  Lt.  Col. 
Foster,  "  who  had  not  some  portion  of  his  clothing 
or  accouterments  struck.''  The  colors  were  pierced 
by  eleven  bullets.  Early  rallied  his  fleeing  army  at 
Fisher's  Hill,  twelve  miles  from  the  battle-field  of 
Opequan,  and  one  of  the  strongest  positions  in  the 
valley,  which  is  here  bisected  by  the  Mansanutten 
Mountains  interposing  between  the  Blue  Ridge  and 
Shenandoah  Mountains.  Sheridan  attacked  and 
drove  him  from  this  almost  impregnable  position 
late  on  the  21st.  The  128th  formed  a  part  of  the 
assaulting  column,  and  were  selected  to  charge  the 
right  of  the  enemy's  works,  which  they  carried 
with  singularly  hght  casualties,  losing  only  two 
killed  and  six  wounded,  notwithstanding  the  scath- 
ing fire  to  which  they  were  subjected.  The  regi- 
ment was  complimented  for  its  gallantry  on  this 
occasion  by  Generals  Sheridan,  Emory  and  Grover 
Gen.  Emory  pronouncing  their  charge  the  hand- 
somest thing  he  ever  saw. 

Sheridan  pursued  the  retreating  enemy  through 
Harrisonburg,  Staunton,  and  the  gaps  of  the  Blue 
Ridge.  In  a  week,  says  Draper,  he  had  destroyed 
or  captured  half  of  Early's  army,  and  driven  the 
rest  southward.  Having  devastated  the  valley  so 
thoroughly,  that,  it  was  said,  if  a  crow  wants  to  fly 
down  it  he  must  carry  his  provisions  with  him,  he 
returned  toward  Strasburg,   posted  his   army  in 


echelon  behind  the  bold  bluffs  which  skirt  the  north 
bank  of  Cedar  Creek,  and  proceeded  to  Washing- 
ton to  consult  with  the  Secretary  of  War  respect- 
ing the  return  of  the  6th  corps  to  that  city. 

On  the  1 8th  of  October,  Early,  whose  force  had 
been  restored  to  its  original  strength  by  the  addi- 
tion of  Kershaw's  division,  crossed  Cedar  Creek, 
and  at  daybreak  on  the  19th,  under  cover  of  a  dense 
fog  surprised  and  attacked  the  national  army 
with  great  fury.  They  first  fell  upon  the  unsus-" 
pecting  8th  corps,  whose  camp  was  overrun  in  over- 
powering numbers  before  the  men  had  time  to  dress 
themselves.  They  fled  in  the  wildest  confusion, 
many  almost  in  a  state  of  nudity,  closely  followed 
by  the  rebels.  Rout  and  disaster  to  the  entire 
army  was  imminent  in  the  confusion  which  ensued 
and  a  reformation  of  the  line  became  unavoidable. 
Gen.  Wright,  on  whom  the  command  devolved  in 
the  temporary  absence  of  Sheridan,  who  was  then 
in  Winchester,  had,  though  wounded,  succeeded  in 
checking  the  advance  of  the  enemy,  and  made  the 
disposition  of  his  forces,  with  which,  later  in  the 
day,  Sheridan  achieved  the  glorious  victory  which 
immortaUzed  his  name.  Lieut.  Col.  Foster  of  the 
128th,  writing  from  camp  near  Cedar  Creek,  Oct. 
24,  1864,  said,  referring  to  this  engagement :  "Cer- 
tainly, as  it  has  resulted  ultimately,  it  is  one  of  the 
most  substantial  victories  of  this,  as  it  is  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  battles  of  any  war."  The  casu- 
alties of  the  128th  in  that  engagement  were  two 
commissioned  officers  missing  and  one  wounded 
a,nd  six  enlisted  men  killed,  fourteen  wounded,  and 
eighty  missing. 

From  the  valley  the  128th  went  to  Savannah, 
and  thence  to  Augusta,  where  it  joined  Sherman 
and  went  with  him  through  the  Carolinas  to  Raleigh. 
From  thence  it  went  to  Morehead  City  and  back 
to  Savannah  j  thence  to  Augusta,  which  it  garri- 
soned for  about  six  weeks,  wlien  it  returned  to 
Savannah,  was  mustered  out  July  12,  1865,  and 
sent  to  Albany  to  be  paid  off.  The  regiment  went 
out  with  nearly  a  thousand  men,  and  though  it 
received  quite  a  number  of  recruits,  returned  with 
only  five  hundred.  The  officers  were  :  Capt.  T. 
M.  Davis,  who  went  out  as  1st  Lieutenant,  com- 
manding the  regiment;  Ambrose  B.  Hart,  who  went 
out  as  corporal,  Adjutant;  J.  Mortimer  Craven, 
Surgeon  ;  Wm.  H.  B.  Post,  Assistant  Surgeon ; 
Lieut.  Crafts,  who  went  out  as  corporal,  command- 
ing Co.  A;  Capt.  Pierce,  who  went  out  as  2d 
Lieutenant ;  and  ist  Lieutenant  White,'who  went 
out  as  private,  Co.  B ;  Lieutenant  Hager  and  2d 
Lieutenant  Asher,  both  of  whom  went  out  as  Ser- 


THE  WAR  OF  THE  REBELLION,  THE  isoth  REGIMENT. 


iSS 


geants,  Co.  C ;  Lieutenant  Armstrong,  who  went 
out  as  Orderly  Sergeant,  Co.  D  ;  Lieutenant  Keese, 
who  went  out  as  Orderly  Sergeant,  Co.  E ;  Capt. 
Anderson,  who  went  out  as  ist  Lieutenant;  and 
ist  Lieutenant  Van  Tine,  who  went  out  as  Ser- 
geant, Co.  F ;  Capt.  Mitchell,  who  went  out  as 
Sergeant,  and  Lieutenant  Moreil,  who  went  out  as 
private,  Co.  G  ;  Capt.  Sincerbox,  who  went  out  as 
ist  Lieutenant  ■  and  ist  I^ieutenant  Benson,  who 
went  out  as  Sergeant,  Co.  H;  Capt.  Wilkinson, 
who  went  out  as  ist  Lieutenant  j  and  ist  Lieut. 
Schouten,  who  went  out  as  private,  Co.  I;  ist 
Lieutenant  Speed,  who  went  out  as  private  Co  K. 
The  return  of  the  regiment  was  appropriately 
welcomed  by  the  towns  from  which  the  several  com- 
panies went,  and  in  some  cases  was  made  the  occa- 
sion of  imposing  celebrations. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


Measures  Instituted  for  the  Raising  of  a 
Duchess  County  Regiment  —  Regimental 
Camp  at  Poughkeepsie  Authorized  —  War 
Meetings  and  Measures  to  Promote  Enlist- 
ments— Great  Activity  in  Recruiting — Camp 
Duchess — Character  of  the  Men  Composing 
the  1 50TH  Regiment— Presentation  of  a  Stand 
OF  Colors — Muster  and  Departure  of  the 
150TH  FOR  THE  Seat  of  War — Arrival  of  Trife 
Regiment  at  Baltimore — Joins  the  Army  of 
THE  Potomac — Participates  in  the  Battle  of 
Gettysburg — Transferred  to  the  Army  of 
THE  Cumberland — The  Atlanta  Campaign — 
Sherman's  March  to  the  Sea — Toilsome  and 
Perilous  March  Through  the  Carolinas — 
Last  Battle  of  the  isoth — March  Through 
Richmond  to  Washington — The  Return^— 
Muster  Out  and  Welcome  Home. 

A  MEETING  of  the  Executive  Committee 
of  the  district  war  committee  was  held 
August  19th,  and  preliminary  arrangements  were 
made  for  securing  a  full  enrollment  of  all  liable  to 
do  military  duty  in  the  county,  and  for  promoting 
further  enlistments.     It  was  also 

Resolved,  That,  as.it  has  been  ascertained  that 
the  whole  quota  of  Duchess  county  is  2,008  men 
under  both  calls,  and  no  provision  is  made  by  the 
County  for  bounties  beyond  the  present  regiment, 
that  we  recommend  an  immediate  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  of  the  County  to  consider  the 
propriety  of  offering  adequate  bounties  to  secure 
the  remaining  men  needed  without  a  draft." 


The  quotas  of  the  different  towns  under  the  call 
of  August  4th  were  the  same  as  those  under  that 
of  July  2d. 

August  22,  1862,  the  Board  of  Supervisors  met 
at  the  suggestion  of  the  war  committee  and 
authorized  the  County  Treasurer  to  borrow  a  sum 
sufficient  to  pay  a  bounty  of  $50  to  every  volun- 
teer who  had  enlisted  since  July  2,  1862,  or  who 
should  thereafter  enlist,  provided  he  had  not 
already  received  any  bounty  from  the  county,  and 
that  he  enlisted  under  such  circumstances  as  to  be 
credited  to  this  county  in  case  of  a  draft.  They 
also  directed  an  application  to  the  Legislature  for 
a  law  authorizing  the  issue  of  bonds  to  the  amount 
thus  borrowed  and  expended  for  bounties,  such 
bonds  to  be  payable  in  ten  annual  installments. 
They  further  resolved  "  that  the  county  ought  and 
is  able  to  raise  the  whole  number  called  for  on 
both  quotas  by  volunteering,  thus  avoiding  the  in- 
convenience and  disgrace  of  a  draft,"  and  "  that 
the  war  committee  to  this  end  be  requested  to 
take  immediate  steps  for  the  organization  of  a 
Duchess  County  Regiment  of  volunteers  for  the 
war,"  and  "  pledging  themselves  to  spare  no  exer- 
tions to  form  and  fill  such  regiment." 

Pursuant  to  this  action  the  executive  war  com- 
mittee that  night  dispatched  Alfred  B.  Smith,  of 
Poughkeepsie,  one  of  the  general  committee,  to 
Albany,  to  obtain  permission  from  the  Governor 
to  raise  a  Duchess  county  regiment,  with  camp  at 
Poughkeepsie.* 

August  26,  i862j  the  war  committee,  which  met 
in  Poughkeepsie  the  previous  day,  selected  Hon. 
John  H.  Ketcham,  of  Dover,  for  Colonel  of  the 
Duchess  county  regiment,  Alfred  B.  Smith,  of 
Poughkeepsie,  for  Major,  George  R.  Gaylord,  for 
Quartermaster,  and  William  Thompson,  for  Adju- 
tant. This  action  was  personally  communicated 
by  Major  Smith  to  the  Governor  and  was  ratified 
by  hirti. 

Permission  was  immediately  given  to  Joseph  H. 
Cogswell,  Robert  McConnell,  Henry  A.  Gilder- 
sleeve,  William  R.  Woodin,  Andris  Brant,  John 
Green,  Edward  Wickes,  Edward  Crummy,  Benja- 
min S.  Broas  and  John  S.  Schofield  to  recruit  for 
the  new  regiment,  and  those  gentlemen  subse- 
quently became  captains  of  their  respective  com- 
panies, designated  in  the  order  named  from  A  to 
K.  They  were  assisted  by  those  who  afterwards 
became  Lieutenants  of  the  several  companies. 

*  We  are  indebted  largely  for  the  data  from  which  the  history  of  the 
I  soth  regiment  is  prepared,  to  Gen.  A.  B.  Smith,  of  Poughkeepsie,  who 
was  officially  connected  with  the  regiment  during  the  period  of  its 


iS6 


HISTORY  OF  DUCHESS  COUNTY. 


The  executive  branch  of  the  war  committee 
arranged  for  war  meetings  to  be  held  as  follows: 
at  Bull's  Head,  (Noxon's,)  August  30th;  at.  Clin- 
ton Hollow  and  Pawling  Station,  Sept.  ist;  at 
Washington  Hollow  and  Ameniaville,  Sept.  2d ;  at 
South  Dover  and  Pleasant  Valley,  Sept.  3d;  at 
Beekmanville  and  Upper  Red  Hook,  Sept.  4th; 
at  Millerton  and  Freedom  Plains,  Sept.  sth;  at 
Storraville,  Hyde  Park  and  Rhinebeck  village, 
Sept.  6th;  at  Matteawan  and  Bangall,  Sept.  Sth;  at 
LaFayetteville  and  Channingville,  Sept.  9th.  The 
following  named  gentlemen  were  designated  to 
address  the  meetings :  Hon.  James  Emott,  Hon. 
H.  E.  Davies,  Hon.  G.  Dean,  Hon.  John  Thomp- 
son, Hon.  A.  Wager,  Charles  Wheaton,  G.  W. 
Sterling,  William  Eno,  B.  J.  Lossing,  Hon.  H.  A. 
Nelson,  Rev.  G.  W.  Lord,  Rev.  G.  F.  Kettell, 
Rev.  J.  Scarborough,  Rev.  L.  H.  King,  Wra.  S. 
Eno,  A.  B.  Smith,  G.  H.  Swift  and  A.  Anthony. 

An  enthusiastic  war  meeting  was  held  at  Upper 
Red  Hook  August  23d,  and  was  ably  and  elo- 
quently addressed  by  Rev.  G.  L.  Piatt,  Rev.  J.  G. 
Johnson,  A.  L.  Martin,  Z.  Weeks  and  E.  Staats. 
As  a  result  of  this  meeting  fourteen  recruits  were 
enlisted. 

September  3,  1862,  Mayor  James  Bowne  issued 
the  following  proclamation : — 

"By  request  of  many  citizens,  and  in  view  of 
the  importance  of  unity  of  action  in  promoting 
enlistments,  I,  James  Bowne,  Mayor  of  the  City 
of  Poughkeepsie,  request  that  all  places  of  busi- 
ness be  closed  each  afternoon  of  the  present  week, 
at  4  o'clock,  and  that  the  people  use  all  efforts  to 
promote  enlistments,  and  also  to  meet  the  ex- 
igencies of  the  times." 

War  meetings  were  held  in  the  city  hall  each 
evening  during  the  succeeding  week,  and  a  free  in- 
terchange of  sentiments  on  public  affairs  was  had. 
The  meeting  of  Saturday  evening  was  composed 
of  Poughkeepsie's  most  intelligent  citizens.  The 
hall  was  crowded.  Alderman  Shaw  presided.  Mr. 
■Lossing,  by  invitation,  addressed  the  meeting  in  a 
powerful  and  manly  speech,  showing  the  true  rela- 
tion of  slavery  to  the  then  existing  troubles  of  the 
country. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  ladies  in  Poughkeepsie, 
Sept.  8,  1862,  it  was  resolved  to  raise  a  fund  to 
provide  a  stand  of  colors  for  the  Duchess  county 
regiment,  and  such  necessary  articles  of  comfort  as 
were  not  furnished  by  the  government,  also  that  an 
appeal  be  made  to  the  ladies  throughout  t